silverchain
by MixItUp
Summary: The path to love is never smooth. Romance, humor, adventure, drama, angst. Stormshipping. Soulshipping. Valeshipping. Multi-chap. Complete.
1. prologue

**silverchain.**

**link zero: the prologue**

"-that he's planning to _propose_! At his age! I just think that's ridiculous, don't you?"

Dark eyes flared. Not-so-dainty hands wildly danced. Raspberry lips pursed, pouted, opened for more irritated words to spill out. Her voice was sharp on his ears.

"I think it's rather sweet," he mused, smiling without teeth and raising a pale eyebrow.

Jenna _fumed_. "Sweet?" she screeched, in her most matronly tones. Never had she seemed more what she was: an aging mother who positively adored her son. In this crisis, she had barely a hint of her teenage self, except in her still-youthful appearance. Ivan sighed. Diplomacy was getting him nowhere.

"His heart's in the right place, and if he wants to marry her, why not?" He tapped a pen on the table absentmindedly. "He's young. He has a life to live, and if that's what he wants..."

"Exactly. He's young, and he doesn't know what he wants yet. For goodness' sake, Ivan, he's only eighteen!"

"You were hardly older when you got married," Ivan said with a frown. "Be fair, Jenna."

"Oh? So how would you feel about it if _Karis_ planned to get married, hmm?" she countered. Ivan knocked the pen on his clean-shaven chin, and Jenna snatched it away.

Before Ivan had a chance to speak, Karis swept into the room, humming some foreign tune or other. Jenna looked devilishly at Ivan before calling out, "By the way, Karis, any of the boys on your quest..._interesting?_"

Karis paused. "B-boys?" she repeated, in a tone that suggested she was not entirely comfortable with the subject.

Pleased with this reaction, Jenna continued, "Well, I just wondered if you thought any of them were cute...you know, like Rief or Eoleo?" Ivan rolled his eyes at her.

"Eoleo? He's like thirty," Karis scoffed, looking somewhat relieved. "And Rief is sweet, but he's really not my type."

Jenna looked thoughtful. "Well, I'm sure you _met_ other boys than the ones you travelled with...hang on," she said, a thought evidently dawning on her. "What about...what was his name...Amiti?"

A furious blush stained the Jupiter Adept's face. "W-who? Oh...Amiti. We...we're just friends," she stammered out, her purple eyes large and betraying some flash of unfamiliar emotion.

"Oh, I see," Jenna replied, obviously trying to restrain her smile. "I just wondered." Karis turned away and resumed her song, her blush still bright on her cheerful face. After a minute, she left, and Jenna burst out into laughter.

"So she likes him," Ivan muttered sullenly. "I could have told you that."

"She likes him a loooot," Jenna laughed, her earlier irritation completely forgotten. She leaned forward and pinched Ivan's cheek. "Aw, is papa wolf upset?"

"Don't you have anybody else to bother? Your husband and son, for example?" Ivan grumbled.

"Somebody's grumpy!" sang Jenna. "And no...father-son camping trip. Isaac just won't leave well enough alone, he has to solve all the world's problems...you know him."

"I think the neighbors are starting to talk about your constant visits over here," Ivan said with a smile. Jenna laughed at him.

"Oh, I wish I could hear that. Sounds hilarious. I'll probably just spend the night here, by the way. Who wants to go home to an empty house?"

"You've been living in an empty house for the better part of the year," Ivan reminded her.

"Exactly!" Jenna exclaimed. "And so have you, for the past couple of months, and now your adorable daughter is back to light it up! Aunt Jenna just has to suck some of that joy up!"

"You're creepy."

She punched him lightly. "Keep talking like that, you won't get any supper."

"You don't have to cook for me, you know," Ivan said. "I can manage perfectly well on my own."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you." She ruffled his hair and stepped into the kitchen. "Nobody cooks like a Mars Adept, anyway," Jenna calls back to him.

"Who'd want to?"

"I heard that!"

Karis shuffled back into the room, singing a chipper song, and Ivan almost missed having the house to himself. _Almost_.


	2. chapter one

**silverchain.**

**chapter one: the arrival of a most curious personage**

**FlameUser64: **thank you! well, as i tried to imply, the "camping trips" are merely an excuse for Isaac to study Mount Aleph or some such heroic thing as that. so basically, the same reason that Jenna doesn't join him at the cabin. this chapter should better explain it.

**outerelf: **i figured that Jenna would take it upon herself to keep him from getting _too_ grumpy.

**anon:** thank you very much! i hope you enjoy the update.

* * *

Jenna hummed disastrously as she weighed fresh oranges on the scale. The fruit vendor knew her of course, and her temper as well, and so he gave her as much time as she needed, despite the growing line behind her.

"Do you have any coconuts?" she asked, handing him the bag full of oranges. The man sighed, recognizing the gleam in her eye.

"Madam Jenna," he began respectfully, but not without a little impatience, "it takes quite awhile to import such things from the island nations, especially with pirates roaming about."

A distant smile lit up her eyes before fading, and she fixed her gaze once more on the vendor. "I'll just take these, then," Jenna sighed, dumped coins into his hand, and began to wander to the next booth. She tried to think of a new plan for dinner, until...

Something unfamiliar caught her eye, and she tossed her hair back to get a better glimpse. A young man was just entering the city alone, weighed down with a great deal of baggage.

Jenna didn't like to think of herself as one of those nosy middle-aged women, but that was in fact what she was. Kalay was frequented by interesting people, and it was quite within her nature to observe them. This boy, however, was not a frequent visitor; in fact, by the cautiously curious expression on his face, he had just arrived for the first time.

He was fair and of a moderate height, decked out in some manner of foreign finery, and something in his manner recalled an old acquaintance to Jenna's mind. Icy locks were tousled over something that glinted in the afternoon light; she soon realized it was a crown. Lost in her intrigue, she scarcely noticed when the young man had come closer to inspect the weapons booth.

Jenna's eyebrow rose, and she tilted her head to the side. Sure enough, not quite concealed but not too noticeable, there was a short sword hanging on his belt. The careful look in his eye betrayed him to be a warrior, and she decided he probably had other weapons hidden somewhere on his apparently royal person.

"Excuse me," she said casually, "is this your first time in Kalay?"

He looked up, surprised, and gave her a warm smile. "Is it that obvious that I am foreign?"

Jenna laughed. "Just a little bit."

The young man cast his eyes again on the weapons, before turning around to face her. "Miss-"

"Madam," she corrected.

Surprise was again evident on his face, but he continued, "Madam, may I ask you a few questions? I came here to find someone, but I am not entirely sure where to find the...the young woman that I'm looking for."

The older woman lit up. "You know what, let's find a place to sit down and talk about this."

She led him to a bench overlooking the city, nearly threw her oranges on the ground, and waited eagerly. Jenna did not consider herself a busybody, but she certainly enjoyed meddling in other people's business (a trait that had been quite unavoidable for Matthew to inherit). The young man situated himself with grace, and began to speak.

"I am the king of Ayuthay, and I am here to obtain permission to court a lovely lady I met during my travels." He hesitated, as if unsure whether Jenna would acknowledge in some way his royal capacity. She squealed and clapped her hands together, but having rubbed shoulders with quite a lot of royals in the past, did not appear shocked or offer him any respect. Her expression urged him to continue.

"We went through many trials together, and I was sad to leave her, but my uncle, the previous king, passed, and I had affairs to attend to. Now that everything has settled down, I have come to ask her father's permission to court her." The young man cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed.

"What's she like?" Jenna asked sweetly, feeling a genuine connection to the boy. He smiled, and his eyes became a tad distant.

"She's amazing," he breathed finally. "She's beautiful, of course, but she's also intelligent and brave...and kind...and as wild as a thunderstorm." He blinked out of his reverie, and said, regaining his regal manner, "I beg your pardon, madam, I did not inquire your name."

She laughed. "It's Jenna."

The young king looked as though something clicked in his mind. "Jenna...Matthew's mother?"

"You're familiar with my son?" she asked, hardly surprised.

"I travelled with him for some time," he replied slowly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jenna, and this means that you're also familiar with the young lady I wish to court."

A flash of understanding. "Karis," she said, and the look in his eyes proved her guess right. "Which means...you must be Amiti."

The king nodded. "That is my given name, yes. What a coincidence!"

"You'll find there are many of them in this small world." Jenna shook her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, as well. I've heard quite a lot about you."

She caught a glint of humor in his eyes. "Good or bad?"

"Oh..._mostly_ good."

Amiti raised an eyebrow, and Jenna laughed at him. "I was just about to go over to Ivan's place anyway, as soon as I fixed up some dinner. Do you mind the wait?"

"Not at all," he said.

She suddenly remembered something. "Doesn't Ayuthay grow coconuts?"

"Yes, they are one of our chief exports."

"You don't happen to have any on you?" she asked with a grin.

"I did bring some," Amiti answered, bemused. "Do you have need of them?"

"Well, I've heard of this most wonderful recipe, and they hardly ever import any here..."

"Then of course you may use as many as you need! I did not bring very much food (as I intended to stay at an inn), but I did take with me a sampling of our goods, for gifts."

"I'd hate to impose..."

"Jenna," he said seriously, "by all means." Then, thoughtfully, he added: "You and Ivan have remained close?"

Jenna nodded. "With Karis gone, I took to making him dinner and checking up on him...he does get depressed sometimes, and he needs someone to remind him not to be so serious. Besides, I'm not too fond of empty houses myself."

Amiti's expression was sympathetic. "Where is Isaac?"

She sighed. "Off trying to fix the world's problems again...he took Matthew with him, but they'll be back in a few days."

"I'm sorry."

"I knew when I married him that he wasn't somebody to be happy at home. Had too much adventure in him, and too much compassion."

"I have great respect for your husband," the young man said, "but still I do not like that about him. My father left my mother before I was born, and I suppose it prejudiced me."

"It's nothing like that," Jenna said hurriedly. "I chose not to return to that life. I may not look it, but I'm pushing fifty, and I've realized that I can't help everybody. I'd rather stay here and put my life into this town and the people who live here or come here. I lost my brother twice over Alchemy and saving the world and the lighthouses and all that. I prefer to stay out of it, but Isaac...he can't do that. To him, that's giving up, and he never gives up. So I'm here when he needs me, and we still love each other as much as ever. Our worlds just aren't compatible."

Amiti awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, and she laughed away a stray tear. "Oh, no need to listen to me, I'm just rambling. Come on, I need to get to work on that dinner, and get you to your lady love!"

He smiled at her, honestly and unguardedly, and Jenna completely forgot the lingering thought of that long-forgotten Mercury Adept that he favored.


	3. chapter two

**silverchain.**

**chapter two: the benefits of having a wily woman on your side**

**anon: **i just checked my email, and your review popped up! now _that_ was a treat. glad you enjoyed!

**FlameUser64: **hey, alternate character interpretation is pretty great. i felt that Jenna not living at the cabin pointed to her not wanting the same lifestyle that Isaac chose, but maybe in the sequel (?) another reason will arise. anyway, this was my idea of her characterization. tsundere Matthew...okay xD that works. (i prefer big-brother and fearless-leader type for him).

**outerelf: **no! valeshipping is even listed in the description. i plan to give the older generation some love, too. no mudshipping in the forecast, i promise.

* * *

It was quite understandable that Amiti would feel a little awkward, holding the door for a loaded-down Jenna (who absolutely refused to let him carry anything), waiting to see the girl of dreams and ask her father that dreaded question. Naturally, he was also a bit worried of how she might react even if he received Ivan's permission to pursue her, but at the moment obtaining that permission was more than enough to occupy his thoughts.

Later, he would remember those few moments in slow motion flashes of sense. The sweet scent of the meat. The sound of sandals on wood. Jenna's voice, feeling so distant, calling something indistinct. Blur of motion, bright eyes, wild-flying hair, joyful laugh...contact.

"Amiti!" Karis nearly shrieked, and before he honestly processed the sound of her voice and the sight of her lovely face, she was embracing him tightly. He hugged back. She smelled of local flora and old books and fierce lightning and everything he'd recently discovered he loved.

Embarrassed, she pulled back, and attempted to straighten her hair, loose and flying free. She did not take her eyes off of him. Unsure of what to say, Amiti settled for, "I am very happy to see you again." He felt uncomfortably formal, and he realized that Ivan had appeared at some point during their greeting.

Amiti walked forward and bowed. "Master Ivan," he said with respect, "I am very glad to make your acquaintance."

Ivan, who in appearance resembled a twenty-some-year old, nodded. His eyes betrayed his true age; they were troubled and filled with concern. Amiti glanced back at Jenna, who was still smiling encouragingly, before continuing, "I am King Amiti of Ayuthay. I travelled for some time with your daughter, and I have heard quite a lot about you. It is a great honor to meet you."

As if deciding a question, Ivan's eyes changed and he allowed a formal smile to reach his lips. "The pleasure is mine," he said, taking Amiti's hand and shaking it. "I have also heard much. What brings you to Kalay, Amiti?"

Before the young king had a chance to answer, Jenna spoke up for him. "Well, of course he wanted to see Matthew and Karis. I believe he also wanted to speak to Lady Layana, to ensure that peace will remain between Kalay and Ayuthay now that the power has changed hands. Isn't that right, Amiti?"

Dumbstruck, and unsure what to do other than trust the woman who'd suddenly taken him under her wing, he nodded. Jenna brightly continued, "He's staying with me as long as needed. I'm sure Karis will enjoy showing him around."

Ivan's eyes narrowed as he looked at Jenna, but when he returned his gaze to Amiti his expression was unreadable. "Well, I'm very glad," he said pleasantly. "I hope your stay in Kalay is enjoyable, and I know Jenna will take very good care of you."

"She is very kind," Amiti said politely.

"Yes, well," Ivan sighed, taking up a scroll from a side table, "please excuse me for a minute."

"I'll set the table," Jenna said quickly, making a motion to scurry toward the kitchen. Ivan cleared his throat, and Jenna breathed out an exasperated sigh.

"Karis can set the table," Ivan replied evenly, and began walking to what Amiti assumed was his study, Jenna following reluctantly. The two young adults stood awkwardly for a moment while Jenna screeched that she was absolutely not planning anything and that nice young man who did quite a lot to end the Grave Eclipse would be no problem and too bad if Ivan had a problem because he was just a grumpy old man who needed to—

"Well, I guess I'll go take care of that," Karis remarked, and stepped into the kitchen. Amiti followed her, taking in the details of the local art decorating the room; glancing into the adjoining dining room, he saw that it was similarly furnished.

"Your home is very beautiful," he said warmly, far more comfortable now that Ivan was not around to judge his every move. Karis turned and smiled.

"Thank you. You can sit in the dining room."

Amiti blinked. "I was going to help you set the table."

"You don't have to do that," Karis answered, stacking plates and carrying them to the next room. Again, Amiti followed her.

"I'd like to," he said honestly. She looked at him, and her smile became almost imperceptibly bigger.

"Well, in that case, you can." Karis gently placed the stack of plates into his arms and returned to the kitchen.

Feeling more in his element, Amiti called back, "May."

"What?"

"I may set the table. You allow me to." A smirk was playing on the corner of his mouth. Karis scrunched her nose at him, in a manner which reminded him irresistibly of Jenna.

"What kind of prince corrects the manners of his hostess?" Karis shot back.

"I am a king now," he reminded her with some pride, setting dinnerware at each place.

"And I suppose that gives you the right?"

"In a word...yes." The royal raised a pale eyebrow.

She filled his arms with glasses, and he fumbled awkwardly with them. "You're unbearable," Karis muttered, and for an instant Amiti wondered if he'd gone too far with his flirtation—but she smiled and he smiled and they stood there, barely breathing—

Ivan cleared his throat, and Amiti almost dropped the glasses. "Almost ready?" the Adept asked.

"Y-yes," Karis stammered as Amiti finished up. "We're almost ready."

When they were all seated and comfortably enjoying the rich meal of ham and a strangely delicious recipe called ambrosia, Ivan gifted the younger man with a smile that, Amiti thought, didn't quite seem to reach his eyes. "It was very thoughtful of you to help Karis out."

"He's just a sweetheart," Jenna gushed, the fire in her eyes dancing at some private joke. "Of course, Karis already told us that."

Amiti didn't dare to look at Karis to see her reaction, but he did allow his heart a little leap. He sipped his drink quietly. "The meal is delicious," he said to fill the silence that had fallen on their dinner party. Jenna smiled, Karis nodded, and Ivan appeared preoccupied.

"Ivan, what do you think of it?" Jenna prompted.

"Hm?" His lavender eyes, unguarded, flicked back with attention. "Oh. It's very good, Jenna. Very good. Thank you. By the way, Amiti, and forgive me for my rather rude way of phrasing this question: how is it that you became king?"

"I took the throne at the passing of my uncle, Paithos," Amiti replied.

"Your uncle?" inquired Ivan, seeming to come alive for the first time since Amiti's arrival.

Amiti nodded once. "He had no children of his own, so his sister's son was the heir."

"Pardon me, but wouldn't the normal order of succession dictate that the throne would fall to your father?"

Karis looked as though she would answer her father's question, but cast her eyes down. It was Amiti's to tell. The young Adept calmly answered, "I do not know my father."

At Ivan's expression, he continued, "My mother died shortly after giving birth to me. My uncle told everybody that I was a miracle, the result of a virgin birth, and that my mother was a very powerful Adept. It was only when Matthew arrived in Ayuthay that it was revealed to me this was a lie. My mother had no Psynergetic powers; I inherited those from my father, the Adept who repaired the Alchemy Well."

Strangely, Ivan did not appear shocked, but merely resigned. "I see. I am very sorry about the loss of your uncle...and your mother."

"Thank you."

An odd silence followed. Ivan glanced at Jenna, and then said quietly, "I will help you tidy up after dinner. I'm sure that Amiti and Karis can find some way to entertain themselves."

The two young adults nodded, and retired to the casual sitting-room, where they quickly fell to discussing their occupations of the past few months. Amiti, while a bit troubled by Ivan's questions (more accurately his reaction to Amiti's answers), enjoyed the conversation, and when he fell onto his borrowed bed at Jenna's house, it was with a clear mind and a hopeful smile.


	4. chapter three

**silverchain.**

**chapter three: **mysterious parentage is not on some men's checklists for sons-in-law

**outerelf: **it's fine! i promise i won't do that...i may add to the ships, but i'm not going to change them. and yes! Amiti needs encouragement, he's too polite for his own good.

**FlameUser64: **makes sense, and i do believe they mentioned something about Matthew having his mother's fire (personality-wise) in-game?

**anon: **you have no idea how happy that makes me. thanks so much! i'm constantly worried about the right amount of description, especially because i tend towards more dialogue. i love dialogue. i could just endlessly write conversations, haha.

* * *

"I think you're overreacting," an offhand voice said from behind him. Ivan spun around to face Jenna; his eyes were steely and his mouth was set in a firm line. He glanced nervously at the door. "Don't worry, she's still asleep."

"This isn't some joke, Jenna," Ivan replied with evident irritation. "We're talking about my daughter's life."

Jenna's expression was incredulous. Her hair, tossed back, caught the sunlight as she demanded, "You think he's going to _hurt_ her in some way?"

"I didn't say that, but the chance is too great—"

"Chance of what?" The woman's eyes were dark and accusing. "Chance that you just might be wrong about somebody?"

"Jenna, you have to remember what Alex did to us—" Ivan tried.

"So you're accusing Amiti of something just because of your guess about his father? You're ridiculous, Ivan."

Pulling himself up to full height (he was still rather short for a man, but he was at least taller than Jenna), he said angrily, "Do you realize how serious this could be? What if he's working with his father?"

"Why would he have told you all that information if he was working with Alex?" Jenna asked. Ivan didn't allow her a victory.

"He probably wouldn't know any of the information. Alex could be manipulating him from behind the scenes, just like he manipulated us. I just have this feeling he's still alive..."

"You never used to be this paranoid," said Jenna in a low tone. "If you're so worried about Amiti, why don't you Mind Read him?"

Ivan went pale at this below-the-belt hit. "You know that I swore never to use Mind Read again," he said, struggling to keep his voice sane and even.

She did not relent. "Using Mind Read is better than making yourself miserable with paranoia, Ivan!" For the first time in years, Ivan caught a few sparks flitting around her fingers, and he knew provoking her further would be an unsafe idea. The man sighed.

"I'm just going to see how this goes. And while we're talking about this, why don't you tell me why he's _really_ here?"

The sparks faded. Jenna didn't meet his eyes. "I think he should be the one to tell you, but please...promise me something." The woman looked so crushed and dejected that he had to comply. Ivan nodded slowly. "Promise me, for Karis' sake, you'll be rational about it. Amiti's a good kid, and even if Alex is his father—"

"He is," Ivan said resolutely.

"That doesn't mean he's bad. He's just a confused young man, rather like you were. You didn't know your heritage for quite awhile, remember that, Ivan? You were so happy to have family when you found out about Hama." He flinched, but remained silent. Jenna took this as permission to continue, not that she usually waited for permission. Dark eyes flashing, this time with care and worry instead of anger, she said, more gently, "If you judge Amiti too quickly, you'll regret it. He means a lot to Karis."

Ivan nodded again, slowly, and the Mars Adept left him to his tumultous thoughts.

"Good morning," Karis sang, setting down two plates stacked with sourdough bread and fruit, so caught up in her joy that she hardly noticed her father's agitated expression.

Ivan forced himself to smile, and said calmly, "You're in a very good mood today, Karis." She giggled in response, in a way that was quite unlike her. The older man tried not to care.

"I thought," Karis said carefully, sitting down to breakfast, "that I might show Amiti around today. Did you have any other plans?"

"No, no, that's fine. I'm supposed to meet with Master Hammet this afternoon." He bit into a peach, and sighed. "He is not doing very well at all, quite honestly." The young Jupiter Adept, while of course concerned for her adoptive grandfather, had inherited perhaps a bit too much cunning, and the cogs in her brain were beginning to turn.

"Will Lady Layana be free, then?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Hm? Oh, yes, I suppose so. I don't believe there are any exceedingly important matters for Kalay at the moment...why?"

"Well, Amiti wanted to see her..."

"Oh. I remember now. Of course, as soon as possible." Rather satisfied, Ivan set down the peach core and started on the bread. Karis smiled to herself.

"I suppose Isaac and Matthew will be returning tomorrow?" the young woman asked, with a glint in her eye.

Ivan, rather preoccupied, nodded. "I believe that was the plan."

Karis sipped her water sedately for a moment, until a huge, foxy grin took hold of her face and she tore out the door, a whirlwind of boisterous energy; her father began calculating the odds that some horrible disaster would take place while Amiti stayed in Kalay.

Meanwhile, Jenna was fussing over that same young man who was the subject of so much drama soon to turn the ear of every gossip in the area. "I'm sure Karis is planning something for today, so I hope it goes well." The woman smiled sunnily, and Amiti couldn't help but grin back. The excitement of the trip and the joy of seeing Karis again had cut through the layers of the young king's royal facade, and the cheerful, friendly personality of the man was shining through every pore of his body.

"What are you planning today, madam?" he asked politely, never one to forget his manners. Jenna made a face and clucked at him.

"For the last time, Amiti, call me Jenna or I'll boot out of this house. And as for what I'm doing, well, I need to stop by and see poor old Gracie...then I'll probably stop at that little blue restaurant you probably saw, for lunch...some foreign art should be coming in sometime in the middle of the day, I'm supposed to look at that and pick one out for the palace...oh, and my little art student, Autia, actually has a recital today, I need to see that...and then back home to fix dinner." She listed these items not without some pride, and her face was flushed with anticipation.

Amiti blinked. "Well, it seems that you will be busy. I hope that your day is productive."

Jenna winked. "You too." A knock at the door interrupted their conversation, and the woman pushed the young Mercury Adept to it. "That'll be Karis," she whispered, "so I'm just going to leave by the other door." She snuck off, and Amiti had no choice but to answer the door.

Karis' face reddened at the sight of him. "Hi," she managed, tucking a strand of her hair behind an ear. The young woman was more nicely dressed than she had been during their travels, since she didn't have to worry about practicality, and he thought the blue sundress complemented her dazzling eyes perfectly.

Realizing he was staring, the young king stammered back a greeting and stepped outside, closing the door tightly behind him. He leaned against it for a second, looking at the young woman's sunny expression, before catching himself. He looked away, and cleared his throat nervously. "Ready?" she asked brightly, and he nodded, his sea-green eyes warmly but quietly watching her.

"I thought first we'd visit all the merchants, that's always fun, we get a lot of imports here, and then maybe go get some lunch? Oh! My father says that Lady Layana should be free, so we might want to go see her today, you know, since you wanted to do that. Or, I mean, whatever you want." She smiled apologetically. "I didn't mean to plan the whole day—"

"Karis." Amiti looked at her seriously. "That sounds wonderful, and it was very thoughtful of you to suggest it. I would love to do all of those things with you." He smiled gently at her, and almost got caught up in the moment again until he felt a sharp tug on his arm.

"Well then, come on! We don't have all day," the Wind Adept said teasingly, and began to move away. He quickly caught up with her, and they engaged in idle conversation, remarking on the beautiful trees and various little remembrances from their adventures.

Karis glanced at the ornate jewellery on display with a look that Amiti was quick to label as 'longing', but he feared it was only his hopes talking. Nevertheless, he also examined the lovely decorations, offering to buy her a particularly fetching pair of earrings, but she declined. "That's too much, Amiti!", and he did have to agree, when he had not so much as obtained her father's permission to court her. What was Jenna planning?

The pair had a nice lunch at the blue restaurant recommended by Jenna, but the woman herself was nowhere to be found. Karis teased their server, apparently a friend of hers, terribly about her lack of honorifics when addressing Amiti, a king. The young man himself felt mildly uncomfortable, both by the joke and Karis' friendship with the server, but he brushed it off. He'd been raised as a nobleman, someone who would likely ascend to the throne, and he did not need to condemn the way commoners' behaved, especially in a completely different culture. It was difficult for the king to even consider Karis as a commoner; a certain grace permeated her every action, and she held her head high walking the streets of Kalay. It completely enchanted him, he had to admit, and he felt humbled that sometimes she seemed more royal than he.

When they reached the palace, Karis turned to him with a slightly sad smile. "You should probably go in to see her yourself."

Amiti was puzzled. "I was under the impression that you were close with Lord Hammet and Lady Layana...do they not regard your father as their son?"

"Exactly," she said. "I don't want anybody to talk, or for anybody to think that the treaty stayed because of my connection to them. You're the king; this is your duty."

He nodded once, feeling rather shamed that this hadn't occurred to him. "You seem born for this sort of thing," he said softly. Karis looked at him.

"You're the one who was born for it. Now go on in there and make your uncle proud." She put a comforting hand on his shoulder and nearly pushed him through the door.


	5. chapter four

**silverchain.**

**chapter four: **diplomacy and irrationality do not go hand in hand

**Anonymous - **thank you so much. you have no idea how much that means to me. i'm honored that you think so! i hope you continue to enjoy the story.

**anon - **thank you! i am quite a grammar freak, so i'm glad it's satifactory. and you have no idea how worried i am about getting Amiti out of character. i am full of fangirly love for him, but i haven't written people like him before...except he actually is quite similar to younger Ivan. hmm, maybe that "girls date guys like their dads" theory has something in it after all.

* * *

Amiti stepped outside, breathed in the fresh air, and looked to the side. He somehow knew he'd find Karis in that little grassy patch, and there she was, feathery hair tousled, long legs stretched out, a peaceful smile on her face. He crouched next to her, and, not daring to wake her, brushed a few strands of her hair to the side. The young woman's eyelids fluttered, but she didn't stir. Making himself comfortable, Amiti sat all the way down, and leaned against the palace wall with her. His lips curled into a smile, and even the cold stone against his exposed arms felt wonderfully restful.

It called to his mind a hypothetical scene that he barely allowed himself to consider, where he had his arm like this around her, only they were both awake, and laughing, laughing at some private joke. They were sitting at Lake Barai, shoes discarded feet away, dangling legs in and talking. On her finger glinted a beautiful interlocked wedding ring, gleaming a mixture of gold and silver. Amiti felt in his pouch for the little box, almost unconsciously. Her eyes would sparkle happily and her voice would sound like bells and wind and lightning and trees rustling and pouring rain and he would soak it in like the sunlight. He would turn to her and say—

A soft sigh distracted his thoughts. Karis' head lolled, and she slowly opened her eyes. "I...fell asleep?" she asked, in a sleepy, disconnected tone. He smiled and nodded.

Suddenly, the Jupiter Adept sat bolt upright. "Amiti!" she gasped. "How did it go?"

He smiled confidently, and his eyes lit up with amusement. "It went very well, thank you."

"It's already late afternoon! How long did I sleep?" Her lips were pressed into an expression that could very nearly be termed a pout. Amiti suppressed a laugh.

"I just returned a few minutes ago," he explained. "Lady Layana was very cordial, and we spoke more informally for a time after our official business was complete. Thank you." She looked puzzled. "I sincerely appreciate you waiting for me."

Karis laughed. "My pleasure."

"What activity was next on our itinerary?" Amiti asked, appearing entertained. She pursed her lips, and hoisted herself up. Extending a slender hand, she smiled sunnily at him.

"We'll find out."

He followed her, wondering when it was that she became so incredibly irresistible to him. The Wind Adept led him to a bench situated on a gentle hill, giving them a nice view of Kalay as people prepared for dinners and parties. "I thought you could use some relaxation after this day," she explained, sitting down and motioning for him to take a seat next to her. Amiti smiled mischievously.

"I believe you have had quite enough relaxation, sleeping beauty," he teased gently, and she groaned at him, shaking her bright green hair everywhere. She blew a strand off of her nose, then, realizing he was watching her, gave him a look. This sort of look, when addressed from a young lady to a young man, is generally considered flirtatious, although accidentally so. Amiti felt his composure beginning to slip as they looked at each other, and suddenly it felt as if the moment from last night was uninterrupted and merely the location had changed. Was he breathing? He didn't know any more. Her face was so terribly close, but not nearly close enough when he wanted to be kissing her. He realized that these were very inappopriate thoughts when they were not yet engaged, and her father still disliked him, but she just had to be so...attractive...

He broke the eye contact. Her father would hardly like him more if he already did something ridiculously rude such as kissing her before their engagement was set. He saw, in his peripheral vision, that her face was downcast, and he felt a twinge that grew into a stabbing pain. If she was interested in him romantically, he may have just sent her a wrong message. "It's beautiful out here," he murmured, just to gauge her reaction. Karis looked at him, and though her eyes were bright, something seemed to be missing.

"Yes," she agreed quietly, not fixing the strands of hair that had fallen over the side of her face. Compelled by some unknown force, he reached out and tucked the locks behind her ear. His fingers lingered a moment, and Amiti had to consciously move them away from her soft skin. Karis smiled gently, and stood up. "It's getting late, and I don't want to miss dinner, so we should probably go." Her tone was not pushy, but it did have some strange note of urgency. He followed her back, resolving to talk to Ivan that night.

* * *

"Master Ivan, may I have a private word with you?"

Ivan looked at the young man who was standing proudly but politely in front of him, arms at his sides, head slightly inclined, eyes bright but serious. The older man nodded. "Karis, I am going outside to speak with Amiti," he said in an offhand manner to his daughter. She smiled, clearly assuming this signified some desire to know one another better instead of the personal business to which it truly related.

"May I read what you're working on?" she asked, already reaching for the sheets. Her father nodded again, and with a gesture followed the young king up the stairs to the second-floor balcony.

The chilly night air provided the backdrop for this anticipated conversation. After both scholar and king were comfortable, Ivan mildly inquired, "Are you planning to reveal the true reason for your unexpected visit?"

Amiti flushed slightly. "I was planning to do so from my arrival, but Jenna thought it best to wait," he confessed.

"I thought as much," the other man said. "What is your true purpose, Amiti?"

Considering slowly the best way to phrase his objective, he answered, "I have come here...to ask your permission to court Karis." Ivan's eyes narrowed slightly, but Amiti was determined to continue. "I became quite fond of her over the course of our journey, and were it not inconvenient for both of us, I would have appealed to you directly upon the closure of our adventures. However, at my uncle's passing, I was required to set affairs in order and take the throne. Now that I have done so, and am able to temporarily leave Ayuthay, I have come for a visit and to inquire this of you." The clouds of warm air formed from this speech dissipated, and the young king had to restrain himself from biting his lips of nervousness.

"Well," the father of the woman he loved said slowly, "I'll consider it." He placed a hand on his slightly stubbly chin. Feeling a bubble of hope in his chest, Amiti smiled somewhat overconfidently, and Ivan frowned at him.

"Thank you," Amiti said hurriedly. "If there are any worries you have, please let me know and I will do my best to dispel them. If you and she consent, we could have as long of an engagement as she pleases. We have recently purchased ships, and are in the process of building a port near the city, so she would be free to travel as she likes, even though I may not always be able to accompany her. Of course, she would always be very well taken care of—"

"That is not my concern," Ivan interrupted, but then paused before elaborating further. The man did not want to reveal his conjecture about Amiti's parentage until it could be confirmed; bringing it up now would only serve to alarm the boy (Ivan insisted on thinking of him as such). "I apologize, Amiti. I am not able to make such a decision at this time."

The Mercury Adept looked troubled, but nodded. "I should be able to stay for several days more, if I am not being too much of a bother. I have offered several times to stay at the inn in town, but I'm afraid that Jenna won't have it."

Ivan gave him a half-smile. "That's just how she is," he mused. "I have made plans to travel, beginning tomorrow, after Isaac has returned. I assume that you have not told Karis of your designs?"

"It would have been improper without your blessing," Amiti replied smoothly. Ivan's eyes lingered on him for a moment, and the flicker of distrust in them concerned the young king. Finally, the older man nodded.

"When I return, I should be able to give you an answer." He rose, yawned, and looked up into the dark, clear night. "Jenna's probably expecting you back now, so I won't keep you any longer. I'm sorry that I cannot make a decision right now, and I can't tell you how long my journey will take. Of course, I am sailing with one of the best captains in Weyard, so that shouldn't be a worry." His eye glinted with nostalgia.

"Are you referring to Captain Piers?"

The Jupiter Adept smiled. "Yes, I am. Did you encounter him on your encounters?"

"Not directly, but he did help us save Eoleo. Please give him my regards." Amiti bowed his head in respect, and turned to leave. "Godspeed on your journey, Master Ivan."

"Thank you, Amiti."

Ivan looked up at the bright stars, suddenly missing his departed wife more than ever. "You'd know what to do, wouldn't you," he said quietly, face a mask of sorrow. Unable to take any more of the absence and introspection thick in the air, he turned and left the balcony silent and even more lonely than before.


	6. chapter five

**silverchain.**

**chapter five: **even wise men have their foolish days

* * *

"Any second now," Karis said breathlessly, eyes fixed on the entrance to town. It was nearly impossible, thanks to a hill that had sprouted after the Golden Sun event, to see any further along the road to Kalay than a few feet, but the Jupiter Adept was keeping her vision trained on those few feet. After all, Matthew, fearless leader extraordinaire and, for all practical purposes, Karis' brother, would be arriving any second. She looked at the young man next to her with a sunny smile. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds out that you're here."

Amiti smiled back gently, not appearing concerned about the arrival of someone that a less confident suitor would suppose to be a rival. He knew Matthew well, and could see that the Venus Adept had only platonic feelings for Karis...although the young king hoped fervently that his big-brother instincts would not work against Karis' prospective husband in this case. Of course, all of this was quite unknown to the cheery young woman currently tapping both boot-clad feet in impatience. She glanced at him again with a small, secret smile, and Amiti, focused on something just barely beyond the horizon didn't seem to notice.

"Look." He stretched out an arm, and Karis followed it with her eyes. Emerging over the hill were two heads covered in spiky blond hair. With a whoop, the Wind Adept waved her arms wildly at the returning heroes, then, as Matthew's eyes lit up with recognition and he began to wave back, increasing his pace, her hand slipped down to Amiti's and pulled him with her, breaking into a run as she rushed to greet their companion.

Forsaking the young man's hand, she immediately tackled Matthew, who looked at Amiti with a slightly bemused expression from Karis' arms. When she released him, the two young men shook hands and familiarly but briefly hugged. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, Amiti!" he exclaimed, clearly pleased, but then corrected himself. "I mean...King Amiti." His brow furrowed slightly, and he nodded with respect in the same manner that Amiti usually did.

The Mercury Adept laughed good-naturedly. "I believe that we traveled together quite long enough to forgo the formalities, don't you agree?" Looking slightly relieved, Matthew smiled his assent.

"Tyrell should be coming in a few days, we passed them on the road," he said, and Karis smiled.

"It's like a reunion, isn't it? We should go on another adventure," she teased. Matthew sighed and pretended to wipe sweat off of his brow.

"Well, while you two have been relaxing, I _have_ been on an adventure, and I'm not in a hurry to leave again. I need my beauty sleep." The young man winked, obviously feeling much more calm now that he was no longer under constant threat of death.

Amiti felt a little out of place as Karis cooed, "Aw, is the poor baby tired?" as she pinched Matthew's cheek. This resulted in a mostly-gentle fight between the two, which the young king watched with a mixture of apprehension, amusement, and embarrassment. In his mind, he was also trying to formulate an excuse if Matthew happened to ask him the reason for his visit. As any good leader, he could completely see through a lie...in fact, Amiti mused, he would make quite a good monarch. The truth would have to do.

"Well, hello," a deep voice said from behind them. Turning, the three friends faced Isaac, whose eyes were glinting. Karis hugged him affectionately, and the man glanced at Amiti.

"Oh, this is Amiti," Karis explained with a gesture. "King of Ayuthay. He helped us..."

"Yes, I know who he is, I was just surprised to see him here. You look just like Matthew described." Holding out a callused hand, he shook the young king's, inclining his head with respect at the same moment. "It's a pleasure to have you here, Amiti. How long will you be staying in Kalay?"

"As long as I need to," he replied cordially. "I will be staying in an inn, so there should be no probl—"

"Isaac," Jenna broke in, approaching the scene and embracing her husband, "I offered for Amiti to stay with me while you two were gone. I didn't think that it would be any trouble to have him continue to stay with us."

"No, of course not," Isaac said, kissing her on the forehead. This display of intimacy made Karis flush slightly, and she began speaking quietly to Matthew. Amiti, however, kept his attention on Isaac and Jenna, trying to form an opinion of the older hero.

"Where is Ivan, by the way?" The blond man looked around, and Jenna sighed.

"He's decided to go off to...well, I'll tell you later." She glanced uneasily at the three young adults before continuing, "I think he's planning to leave now that you've arrived."

"Isaac!" The Jupiter Adept approached him, and the two men smiled and hugged like they were brothers. "How are you? Did you find anything of interest?"

"Oh, quite a few things you should probably put in that book of yours," Isaac replied vaguely. "What's this I hear about you going off for a trip? You should have done so earlier, you could have come with Matthew and myself."

"It concerns a completely different matter," Ivan said in an equally subversive manner. "By the way, has A been mentioned?"

Surprise was evident in Isaac's eyes. "She didn't tell you?" he asked, with a momentary glance at Karis. Ivan's gaze hardened.

"No. She didn't."

"Well, maybe if you'd told her more she would have known to!" Jenna snapped, and the two men looked completely shocked. Tossing her hair, the woman continued in a lower tone, "You know very well how she is. And you, Ivan, need to listen better. She did in fact mention...A...was behind the whole thing, but you were too wrapped up in your ridiculous analysis of the past! We need to think about the _future_. That would be them. If all they know of what we did comes from history books, how can we expect them to continue in this path? We've committed for life, but they haven't, and they deserve all of the information."

After a momentary silence, Isaac said, "You're completely right, Jenna, and I'm sorry that I didn't see that sooner. I have been telling him some of what we're working on, but I know that he's likely to think he needs to bear the whole burden. He won't tell them."

"When I return," Ivan continued, in the same vein, "I'll tell her about A. I have a suspicion regarding him, and...honestly, if it is true, I doubt even he himself would know about it. And Jenna, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't be so negative regarding my studies. They have helped us a great deal, and are the reason that I noticed the connection to A."

Isaac looked mildly confused while Jenna hissed in reply, "You mean your paranoid suspicion."

"It's perfectly legitimate and informed," Ivan argued, lavender eyes flashing with a rarely-seen fire.

"Is your response to it?" she asked with evident venom.

"Fighting over this won't help," Isaac interrupted calmly. "When Ivan and Garet return, we can have a proper discussion. In the meantime, we need to try our best to be rational about this whole convoluted situation. All right?"

The other two Adepts nodded slowly. "I will be voyaging with Piers," Ivan added grudgingly, "I believe that N knows as much as he does, although I am not positive about R. Has anybody contacted our Water Adept friend?"

Isaac, shaking his head, opened his mouth to reply, but Jenna said, "Yes. She requested that he and Kraden discuss the matter with her directly after the Grave Eclipse ended." While she certainly appeared more calm, long fingernails were jabbed into her skin as she crossed her arms, and a slight spark was visible in her eye.

"Well, I should go," Ivan said loudly, reaching behind him for his luggage. Karis hugged him fiercely, followed by Jenna, Isaac, and Matthew. Amiti bowed and extended a hand that the older man shook, but Ivan did not make eye contact.

After the scholar had disappeared behind the hill, Isaac clapped his hands. "I believe that it's about time for a meal. Did you go to that little restaurant that you like yesterday?" he asked, turning to Jenna.

"Yeah. There's no need to go eat away from home two days in a row, especially after you've been gone. I can fix something." A slightly melancholic look crossed her face for an instant, but as soon as it began to concern Amiti, it had disappeared. Isaac frowned.

"I don't want you to have to cook right when I get home," he said softly. "I could do something...after spending so long in that cabin, I'm not a half bad cook."

Isaac raised his shoulders to shrug, and Karis smiled at the resemblance to Matthew, who behind them muttered, "He's not half good, either." Amiti suppressed a smile.

"I insist," the woman said, smiling in a more genuine way. "Leave it to me."

They did.


	7. chapter six

**silverchain.**

**chapter six: **a dialogue between two like-minded young men

**Anonymous - i appreciate all of your reviews!:D thank goodness that somebody likes the pacing...this story has quite gotten away from me. and that's a good question! i'll go on and tell you that it's going to be a few more days in their time before Garet and Tyrell arrive, so perhaps they needed to stop by somewhere else. for the record, they didn't travel together in the first place, just happened to pass one another. Isaac and Matthew have been gone longer, as well. ...i just figured this out now, proving how much the story has control over me and not vice versa.

* * *

**

The five adventurers were reclining in a sitting room, sometimes conversing quietly, some lost in their own thoughts, when Amiti glanced over at Matthew and saw him tucking a pale spike back casually, fingers reaching back to the right side of his head. Teal eyes flashed at deep blue, and the young king nodded almost imperceptibly. One could not travel with a companion without developing certain shorthand signals, and Matthew had definitely just communicated a need to speak to Amiti privately.

"Excuse me, there is a matter I must attend to," Amiti said pleasantly, bowing his head respectfully. Karis looked at him with an expression he couldn't fathom, and he tried his best to appear blank and calm. Excusing himself out of the house, he rested out of view of the convenient window through which Jenna would undoubtedly peer. After a minute or so, Matthew appeared in the doorway.

They walked in silence until they were a fair distance from the happy little house, and then Matthew broke into a smile. The Mercury Adept's brow furrowed. "What exactly is the problem, Matthew?" he inquired.

"Problem?" the other young man asked. "Who said there was a problem? It's just, well, the thing is..." Matthew squirmed, looking happy and uncomfortable at the same time. Amiti waited, trying his best to be patient during the Venus Adept's silence.

Matthew fumbled in his light travel pack and held out a small box. "This," he said simply.

Amiti took the box from his former leader's hand, and opened it gingerly. Inside gleamed a gold and silver necklace, and as the young king lifted it from the box, he noticed an oddly-designed charm dangling from the pretty chain. Unconsciously raising his eyebrows in confusion, he examined the object for another moment before meeting Matthew's eyes, which were bright with excitement and other emotions that Amiti had rarely seen grace the face of the often stoic young man.

"I beg your pardon, but I'm rather puzzled."

Matthew laughed, only increasing Amiti's confusion, and pointed to the symbol on the charm. The rather farsighted Water Adept held it further away and squinted. The language was unfamiliar, and again Amiti looked back at Matthew.

"They're ancient runes," Matthew said proudly.

"They do not appear to be the same as the runes from your book," Amiti observed drily.

"I actually had the metalworker combine them so the charm wouldn't be too large," Matthew explained, taking the necklace from the other young man's hand and holding it up. It glinted in the sunlight, seeming to taunt Amiti with its mysteries. "Mannaz, ansuz, thurisaz, ehwaz, and wunjo."

The young king's expression did not clear with any sort of understand, but Matthew continued, apparently not even noticing Amiti's bemused countenance.

"Then, below that...they kind of overlap, but you know...sowulo, wunjo, ehwaz, teiwaz, and ansuz again." He beamed. "Didn't it come out well?"

"I wouldn't know," Amiti said slowly. "No offense is intended, but what exactly is the purpose of this piece of jewelry?"

"That's the best part."

The blue-haired young man waited, but Matthew, now smirking slightly, seemed to be enjoying keeping him in the dark for a little while longer. Finally, obviously unable to bear it no more, and suddenly looking a little nervous, the Earth Adept blurted out, "I'm going to propose to Sveta."

Amiti's mouth literally dropped open. Matthew's brow wrinkled with worry. "Do you think it's a bad idea?" he asked. "I know that she's royalty and, well, I'm not, but she doesn't seem like the type of girl who'd act like that. Then again, I don't know. Maybe it's too pretentious. It's not like she has a father keeping her from marrying who she'd like, but unless you think it would ruin our friendship, which it—"

"Matthew," Amiti interrupted, losing his cordiality in the rush of excitement. "I think it's fantastic."

A grin slowly spread over Matthew's face. "Oh, good," he said breathlessly, sounding more like a teenage girl than the strong and dedicated young man that Amiti knew well. "I thought...well, since you're royal and all...that you'd know."

"Why did you have to take me aside to ask?" Amiti asked curiously. "Surely your parents know."

"Yes, I told them," the Adept replied, "but Karis doesn't."

The thought of her (bright eyes, laughing happily, standing proud) made the young king come undone, and the events of the previous night rushed back into his memory. Sveta would be sure to accept Matthew's proposal; why, it was obvious to everybody that she was smitten with him, and he with her, although Amiti hadn't really connected all the dots until this moment. What had hit him then was that what Matthew was so boldly attempting was a task that, so far, had stumped Amiti. "Why haven't you told her?" he asked carefully. Was it because of some feelings that Karis harbored for Matthew? The thought made the royal feel sick to his stomach.

Matthew shrugged. "I don't really want her to make a big deal about it. To be honest, I'm worried enough without her...making things worse. I mean, I love Karis—"

Amiti's stomach dropped again.

"She's like my sister," the young man continued. "But it's bad enough that my mom knows, she's already going crazy because she thinks I'm too young to be getting married."

"Would Karis think that?" the Mercury Adept questioned, feeling awkward and embarrassed. If he had come all this way to court a girl who thought she should wait five more years before marriage, well...it was hardly fitting behavior for the king of Ayuthay.

Matthew shook his head. "I seriously doubt it. She's never been some swooning girl who talks about marriage all the time, but I think she's to the point where she's starting to really think about it. I think it's just better for the both of us if I only tell her after I succeed." He bit his lip. "Well...if I succeed."

"And if you fail?"

"I'll have to tell her anyway. I can't keep something like that from her, and besides, I'm sure Mom would break down and tell her some day. Sometimes I think the two of them are closer than I am with either of my parents."

"Well, you are gone quite often," Amiti offered.

The other young man nodded. "I know. Speaking of being gone, why are you here?" His tone was curious and unmarred by suspicion or accusation.

Despite what Matthew had just said about his distance from Jenna, Amiti knew that she was a very loving mother, and on top of that bad with secrets. Add to that the young leader's capacity for detecting lies, and the only sane decision would be to tell the truth. Should he be subtle, or blunt? For once, Amiti wished for Tyrell's personality.

"Well, I came to see my companions, mostly," the young king said slowly, still determining how much of the truth to disclose, "and to keep the alliance between Kalay and Ayuthay active."

Matthew nodded thoughtfully, but he looked at Amiti for quite awhile. The Adept tried to keep himself from sweating or appearing in any way nervous, and was surprised that he was entirely able to suppress his emotions. He gazed back at the Venus Adept calmly.

"So it doesn't happen to have anything to do with the entirely marriageable and lovely status of a certain Jupiter Adept?"

The two young men stared at each other for a few moments with stony expressions before exploding into a burst of completely unexpected laughter.

"How did you know?" Amiti asked, still laughing. Matthew raised his eyebrows and made a face.

"I didn't."

The king looked skeptical.

"I knew that she _adored_ you," Matthew said, drawing out the word, "but I was only guessing that you felt the same way. Don't worry, you're far from obvious."

"I hardly believe that she adores me," Amiti replied, and the other man clapped him on the back.

"Well, that's between the two of you." He smirked.

"Does this mean that I have your blessing?" the Adept asked, a smile creeping back on his face. Matthew pretended to think for a few moments before nodding.

"I can't think of anybody better for Karis, honestly," he said earnestly, and Amiti smiled, feeling a new bloom of hope lightening his chest. "Of course, it's Ivan that you have to worry about."

"He has refused to make a decision until he returns."

Something like distrust flashed in Matthew's eyes.

* * *

"So, I suppose you've been helping with this?" Karis asked, waving the manuscript at Jenna. The older woman smiled.

"Of course! Ivan's gotten far too old to remember half of what happened anyway, and he wasn't even there for all of it."

Karis laughed. "Neither were you, and I thought you were the older one...?"

"Hush," scolded Jenna, grinning. "Nobody's supposed to know that. I was there for the important parts, anyway."

The young woman quirked an eyebrow. "Are you only say that because you think the only important parts are the ones that you're in?" she asked.

"Mm...maybe." They laughed, and Jenna continued more seriously, "Well, I suppose you're right. I was off being kidnapped when Isaac was searching for me, which is what a lot of people seem to think is one of the most important parts."

"And you don't?"

The Mars Adept smiled, somewhat sadly. "Well, as sweet as it was, no. Don't get me wrong, romance is wonderful, but what's more important is what comes after the thrilling love story ends. The quieter, family love."

Karis, sensing the change in tone, nodded slowly, letting Jenna know to continue.

"And in a story like ours, with global impact...I think that's what's more important. I may complain about Isaac trying to fix the world's problems, but that's what we've all been doing since we were teenagers. I can't quit trying to save everybody, so why should he? We just approach the problem different ways." Her eyes wandered to the direction of the kitchen, where the man she spoke of was currently preparing a dinner for the group of friends and family. "Now we seem to have ended up getting you kids tangled up in it as well."

"Only because we wanted to be," Karis replied stubbornly. "You think it's easy to try and live up to the kind of reputations that you, Isaac, and Dad have? It was pretty much inevitable that we were going to follow in your footsteps."

"That doesn't mean it's a good thing," Jenna murmured, and Karis had no rebuttal.


	8. chapter seven

**silverchain.**

**chapter seven: **anger is best bred by jumping conclusions

* * *

"Do you think we made the right choice?"

Her voice was soft, and he looked at her in slight surprise. The morning had not yet broken, and her quietly familiar voice was a shock in the still silence. Auburn hair curled in tendrils across her face, although the breeze was so light it might as well not exist, and her eyes were dark and serious. He covered her tanned hand with his own, with as much tenderness as he could muster.

"About what?" he asked, in an equally soft tone.

She sighed, freed her hand from beneath his, and turned to fully face him. Below them, the city was starting to show signs of life, but she paid this no heed. "Everything. Matthew...and Karis, and Tyrell...the quest...Ivan..."

"That's more than one choice," he said gently, and she frowned.

"I know that, Isaac. But don't you ever feel like we messed it all up?" she asked, clasping her hands.

He nodded. "Of course I have," the warrior confessed. "Thousands of times, Jenna. But now is not one of those times."

"What makes it different?"

"I'm here with you, aren't I?"

Husband and wife regarded one another for a moment, and she grudgingly sighed, tilting her head slightly. "I just wish we could have managed it all on our own. I don't want Matthew to be forced to have this sort of life...or Karis, for that matter."

"Did she say something?" Isaac asked, a hint of worry in his eyes. Again, Jenna sighed.

"Does she need to? If not for all of our problems, she and Amiti could be perfectly happy—"

"If not for our problems, they never would have met," he reminded her firmly.

"Maybe, maybe not! Who's to say what anything would be like?" she demanded.

He looked at her deeply. "I still believe that what we did was right. Of course it had consequences, but Weyard's _alive_ again. Can't you feel that, Jenna? Would it really have been better to let it slowly sink into death?"

Her head drooped. "You're right," she agreed softly, "but sometimes it's hard to feel like we're the heroes. We made so many enemies along the way, and people still hold the Golden Sun against us." With defiance, she added, "What do they know? We were just teenagers, but at least we were trying to do something. All they want to do is criticize us...I don't want Matthew to have to feel that."

"He already has."

After another long moment of contemplation, Isaac reached forward and put his arm around her. She leaned into his hold, and together they watched as Kalay began to bustle itself into life.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the mending couple, Karis too was awake, and had been for hours. Something about the way Matthew and Amiti had left seemed to be lighting up a warning signal in her mind. She wasn't stupid—she knew they'd left to speak in private, and she also knew that shouldn't bother her. In the next room, they were sleeping soundly, but she _was_ bothered, and a creeping temptation was seizing her mind.

With an expression of determination, the young Jupiter Adept assumed a meditative position. Focusing all of her Psynergetic energies, she reached forth through the air common to both rooms and felt the presence of the sleeping Adepts. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to determine their expressions and breathing through the air before she gave out and had to retire, breathing heavily.

"That means nothing," she said under her breath. Karis had been honing the gift of sensing others' presence for a few weeks, but hadn't breathed a word of it to anybody save Sveta. In their close comradeship, the beastman had explained in much fuller detail than Ivan the way that she used her psychic powers, and Karis had become determined to learn the technique herself.

She realized, of course, that Mind Read had many adverse effects; she'd seen them in her father's weary countenance, and had listened when he told her it was a blessing that she didn't have the gift, but when she met Sveta, a strange desire awoke in her. Karis had wanted to be like her, not only because she admired Sveta, but because of some unknown force. It seemed to her, in fact, that it was somehow her destiny to learn the mixture of art and science that comprised legitimate mind reading, although she scarcely acknowledged this fact in her conscious thinking. All that was evident to her was that it was absolutely imperative that she train herself, and train she had.

However...she had not yet actually attempted to use Mind Read on another person. She had communicated, although it tired her greatly, with birds coming to her window in the morning, and she felt that had been a success, but Mind Reading a person—that was another matter entirely. Still, her intense feeling of...of _wrongness_ about Amiti and Matthew's private conversation could not be quelled, and in a moment of spontanaeity, she completely made up her mind to read theirs.

But whose? Well, although the idea of reading Amiti's mind seemed extremely appealing to her (she blushed unconsciously at this thought), sometimes she found him hard to understand even in speech. Matthew, on the other hand, was like an extension of herself; she could almost always predict his reactions, and could more easily wade through his tangled thoughts. If that was how it worked. The minds of birds were, of course, a lot simpler than a human's, and especially one who happened to be an Adept; so she scarcely was sure how to go about it.

Still, with a sneaky tread, go she did into the room where both young men slept. Glancing at the nearer bed, where Amiti lay, turquoise hair messy and dying to be combed with fingers, eyes closed, serene smile on his face...she sighed, shook herself from her momentary reverie, and cast Sleep on him. His light doze became a deep slumber, and she walked more confidently to the bed across the room, where Matthew sprawled, blonde hair hiding his face.

Karis looked behind her at Amiti again before kneeling next to Matthew. She was afraid that if she charmed him the same way his thoughts would become completely unreadable, and she felt suddenly grateful that he was at least a fairly deep sleeper. If he felt there was any sign of danger, of course, he would leap into action; but merely holding his hand (as her father did before he became more experienced at Mind Read) shouldn't disturb him.

She hoped.

Pulling his hand out from underneath the sheet, she took it firmly in her own, braced herself, and began to focus her energies. Her breathing slowed, and, except for the immense toll that the Psynergy was taking on her mind, she almost felt like she too was falling into a deep sleep.

A minute later, her eyes snapped open, and her breathing quickened once more. Backing away from the still resting Matthew, and giving a horrified look to the calm countenance of the charmed Amiti, she abandoned their room for her own.

Covering her trembling legs with a blanket, Karis tried to recover her composure and focus her thoughts. While she had only caught a few snatches of thought from Matthew's tumultous mind, they seemed to be enough for her.

_"Good for Amiti that he wants to propose...mm...propose to Sveta...it's a good idea...hope it'll work...of course it will, for him, but..."_

She ran the lines through in her head again and again, trying to find some other meaning in them besides that which was evident, but, failing to do so, she slammed her body down on her bed, covered her head with the blanket, and blocked out the world.

Angry thoughts she certainly didn't mean about Sveta swam through her mind, and she cursed very quietly, mindful of Matthew's incomplete slumber. It wouldn't do for him to find her in this state. Certainly that was why they kept it a secret from her, wasn't it? It all made sense. She was so terribly obvious with her affection for Amiti, but all this time he loved Sveta! With him as sweet as he was, of course he wouldn't mention it to her, for fear of hurting her. He was too sweet...she cursed again, oh, why was it that even when she felt like she ought to be mad at him he made it impossible? Instead, she found herself mad at Sveta, and mad at Matthew. He should have told her, he _knew_...she'd told him, oh every kind of deity she'd _told_ him how she felt about Amiti! Even for fear of hurting her he shouldn't have kept his mouth shut, should have known she'd find out, especially since he thought that it would work out. And all this time she'd thought that Sveta had feelings for Matthew! Two-faced little monster, she'd liked Amiti all along but hadn't mentioned it to Karis, and now they were going to get _married_ and oh by the Lighthouses their children would be ugly completely uncompatible looks, she thought bitterly, mind becoming more and more jumbled, and she'd grow up to be some old spinster who'd have the ugly little half-Ayuthayan half-Morgal children call her aunt and bitterly wish she was their mother, even if they did have to be so terribly ugly...

She muffled a scream in a pillow, completely aware that she was being irrational but ceasing to care, and, finding herself quite exhausted, fell back into a deep slumber.


	9. chapter eight

**silverchain.**

**chapter eight:** a woman thought scorned shall not be crossed

**Kairikiani - **thank you for the feedback! you have no idea how much i appreciate it. i hope everything remains satisfactory!

* * *

Karis was not happy.

True to her element, she stormed around the house, kicking up a veritable tornado of ill feeling and irritation. Her tongue was more cutting than the well-shapened blade she kept by her side even now, and her eyes were fiery, as though some of her hissing lightning had struck a house and set it ablaze.

Her unpleasant mood hardly went unnoticed. Matthew, knowing well the consequences of her moods, tried his best to steer clear of her tempestuous, barely-suppressed rage; Amiti, on his part, while acquainted with her temper over the course of their travels, was mystified as to the cause or even the object of her anger. He would normally take the blame thanks to his nature, but while she was just as harsh with him as with Matthew and Jenna, a look of horror would quickly pass over her face and she would seem _almost _apologetic for at least a few moments after her rudeness. Isaac would simply allow her tongue lashings to pass over him, and seemed entirely undisturbed by her ill feeling—for the simple reason, according to Amiti's theory, that his long dealings with Jenna had deadened him to the pain.

Jenna herself was a different story. Never one to deal with anybody's bad moods (except her own), her own boiling point was reached rapidly. It happened rather suddenly. Karis was routinely grumbling about some little thing or the other when Jenna, who was in the midst of preparing a fragrant soup for dinner, stuck her head out of the kitchen, pointed to the door with a wooden spoon, and tersely said, "Out."

Karis appeared on the verge of protesting, and out of habit Isaac and Matthew grimaced identically. Amiti simply appeared helpless. After a glance around the room, the Jupiter Adept huffily stomped out of the door, slamming it generously behind the resounding clangs of her boots. Matthew, turning back to Amiti, continued their conversation as though nothing had happened, and while the young king was uneasy and sympathetic to Karis' anger, he dared not follow her, having learned his lesson after an incident taking place during their adventure. Suffice it to say that the Mercury Adept's hair had grown back out and was returned to its customary color, and that was that.

Still, after an hour Amiti's initial uneasiness had only intensified, and spread to the other menfolk occupying the house. Jenna even spared a few looks at the window, as though she had expected Karis to return before this late hour.

"Would you like me to go out and search for her?" the young king asked, with a mixture of eagerness and dread. The older woman bit her lip in thought.

"I'll go," Matthew interjected before his mother had time to reply. Isaac looked up from his jumble of maps and books to give his son a confused stare, and the younger Venus Adept quickly said, "I can handle her."

Amiti looked a little wounded, and his friend laughed, clapping him on the back. "I just don't want to subject you to her horrors _quite_ yet," Matthew joked. "Then you might not take her away!"

The young king managed a smile, and quipped, "I must disagree with you, Matthew. I have already experienced quite a lot of horrors at Karis' hand."

The Venus Adept grinned. "Exactly." Ducking his head as he walked through the doorway, he called back, "If I'm not back in half an hour, she probably killed me, so just go on and eat!"

Another slammed door later, and Amiti was left alone with Isaac and Jenna, now both poring over the documents spread across the table. Every once in awhile one or other would look up at him with an unreadable expression, before returning to reading and low murmurs. Feeling awkward, he stood up for the excuse of stretching tired limbs, and looked at the bookshelves crowding the walls. Pulling a tome from one of the shelves, he glanced at its cover, emblazoned with a stylized image of a great sun. _The True Tale of the Golden Sun and the Heroes of Vale_, boldly proclaimed the title, and almost unconsciously he found himself flipping through the book.

His finger fell on a page which he felt strangely compelled to scan. It seemed to speak of the first group that attempted to resurrect Alchemy: that of Saturos, Menardi, and..._Alex_.

Heartbeat inexplicably quickening, he ran his eyes over the pages of text faster than he thought possible. From Imil...the great healer Mia's cousin...thought dead after the Golden Sun event...

"_However, evidence may suggest the contrary_."

Now the young king's heart stopped. Of course, he knew that Alex had in fact been alive those thirty long years, having seen the man with his own eyes, having heard the sickeningly deceptive tones of his voice, having even felt the brush of his cloak in passing, but the thought of knowing what occupations Alex had taken part in during the period was indescribably exciting. He turned the page.

Nothing. The other side of the page declared the beginning of a new chapter, and while Amiti quickly searched the remainder of the book, no other trace of the name "Alex" could be found. The Mercury Adept slumped in disappointment, and as he flipped back to the earlier passage, a hand clamped on his shoulder.

Automatically grabbing the small dagger he hid on his person, Amiti spun around, prepared to attack, before he realized he was facing Isaac, who spread his hands and laughed gently. "I can see you're a true warrior, Amiti," he said, and the young king's cheeks reddened.

"I apologize," he muttered, tucking away the dagger once more, and Isaac shook his head.

"There's no need. What were you reading?"

Feeling almost guilty, he held up the book. Isaac's expression didn't change, but when he spoke, his tone was more serious. "As far as those sort of things go, it's a good one. Accurate information about Alex, for once. Were you reading that part?"

Amiti nodded slowly, and the older man's eyes seemed to deepen. He opened his mouth to speak, but the banging of the door behind them interrupted, and both Adepts turned, suddenly alert. Matthew scuffed into the house and settled himself on a cushioned chair, nursing his head as though it were aching.

"How did it go?" the young king asked, secretly glad for the disturbance, as he went over to Matthew. The other young man, still clutching his head, looked up dolefully.

"She's not happy," was all the Venus Adept said, and Amiti's concern for the young woman he loved increased. Matthew, noticing his expression, added, "She'll be back in a minute, or so she said."

Sure enough, the stomping of boots was soon heard, and a somewhat bedraggled Karis entered the scene, appearing now more sorrowful than furious. Going over to her, the Mercury Adept laid a worried hand on her shoulder, and said quietly, "I was concerned. Would you tell me what has made you so upset, Karis?"

She shook her head, and he could have sworn to have seen a tear glint in one of her eyes. Shrugging off his hand, she replied, "I'm fine, I'm just hungry. I'm sorry I wasn't here to help, Jenna."

Jenna, stirring the soup, smiled back: all seemed to be forgiven. "Oh, Isaac helped out. He owed me anyway," she laughed, eyes sparkling as she set the pot on the simple table. Her husband followed, carrying a large loaf of aromatic bread flavored with herbs. The group gathered about the table, said a quick prayer, and sat down, ready to enjoy. A smile was on Karis' face, but Amiti knew it didn't reach her eyes, although she avoided contact with him throughout the meal. He sighed, and silently added a postscript to the evening prayer: _please restore Karis' good spirits, or at least encourage her to confide in me._

Spooning some of the soup into his own mouth, he tried to smile around his consuming worry.

* * *

"This is delicious," Ivan remarked, although his heart would remain rather sunken until the problem at hand was resolved. "I didn't realize you were such an accomplished cook, Nowell."

The young lady beamed, and Piers smiled at her affectionately as she replied, "Thank you, Master Ivan. Please help yourself to seconds."

"Please, just refer to me as Ivan," he said. "We're equals."

The three Adepts sat in silence until the Lemurian asked, "Your letter was quite unclear, Ivan. What exactly is your purpose? I understand that you are searching for Alex, and I don't deny the importance of such an act, but for what reason?" Noticing how the Jupiter Adept's eyes flicked to the youngest member of their party, Piers added in a kindly tone, "There is nothing you can tell me that you cannot share with Nowell."

Nodding, and feeling rather embarrassed, Ivan began to explain about the theoretical connection between Amiti and Alex. Both of the Mercury Adepts appeared to be absorbing the information, and when Ivan had finished, Piers brought up a question.

"How exactly did this come to light, Ivan? Did Karis, Matthew, or Tyrell mention the heritage of Ayuthay's king?" He stirred his drink absent-mindedly.

"Ayuthay's king happens to be in Kalay," Ivan said shortly, "and he plans to ask for Karis' hand."

Nowell's expression lit up, and Piers swallowed quickly. "Really?" he asked, nearly choking. "Well, I hope you realize that it is quite an honor. They are a proud people, and take their monarchs quite seriously. Do you approve other than the issue of parentage?"

Ivan sighed. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "He is certainly polite and respectful, and I know he...he cares for her deeply."

The avoidance of a certain word did not go unnoticed by Piers. "You can't keep her around forever, Ivan. At least he seems to be going about things the proper way. How does she feel about him? Would she be receptive to the idea if you approved?"

"Receptive?" repeated Ivan. "She adores him. I'm afraid that he can do no wrong in her eyes...and Jenna feels the same way."

"How is Jenna?" Piers asked politely but earnestly, and Ivan raised his eyes to heaven. "That bad?"

The Jupiter Adept smiled weakly. "She's the same old Jenna. She seems to have taken Amiti in as a second son."

"Have Isaac and Matthew returned?" Nowell inquired, and Ivan looked at her as though he'd forgotten her presence. He nodded.

"They arrived just as I was leaving, so I wasn't able to fully explain the issue, although I'm sure Jenna has by now."

In a somewhat emotional tone, Piers said, "I'm very glad that the two of you have remained close."

The other man looked thoughtful. "I suppose we have become something like family, although we hardly get along all the time."

"Exactly," the Mercury Adept replied with a laugh. "You are like family. I don't mean to pry, but are Isaac and Jenna...happy?"

Ivan looked downcast. "She won't talk to me about him when he's gone, and I know his absence upsets her sometimes, but she holds together."

"He has two great loves," observed Piers, "heroism and Jenna; and in his earlier years he never had to choose. Now that she has settled down...lifestyle-wise, if not in temperament, it becomes more difficult." He smiled wryly. "To return to the earlier topic...if your theory proves correct, what action will you take?"

Eyes glowing with honesty and pain, the other man replied, "I really don't know, Piers. I just don't know."


	10. chapter nine

**silverchain.**

**chapter nine: **pain felt in the heart is as piercing as a blade

* * *

The next day was not much better for the occupants of the house in Kalay. Karis had transitioned from mostly angry to mostly sorrowful over the night, and the slightest thing would cause a tear to drip from her eye. Amiti was quite on the edge of a precipice of despair, and more than once he approached her only for her to ignore him.

The young king breathed deeply. He felt very much at home by the small oasis of a pond on the outer limits of the city, and he considered going on a ramble throughout the country. Kalay and Ayuthay had secured their treaties, after all, and while he would be outside of the city itself, the country around it was still under the jurisdiction of Hammet and Layana. He dipped his fingers in the cool water, considering. A shadow came over the pool.

"Amiti." The Adept didn't look up, recognizing the voice as Matthew's. The other young man settled beside him on the dewy grass, and sighed.

After a minute, Amiti turned to his friend. "How is she?" he asked, voice a little scratchy. It hadn't been in heavy use as of late, since he hardly wanted to start Karis up on a path of either anger or tears.

Matthew sighed again, and nodded. "Still upset."

"And we do not know when Ivan will be back," Amiti said with some annoyance. "Or whence he travels, for that matter."

The Venus Adept scratched his spikes with a gloved hand. "I heard my dad say that Ivan had gone to find Alex, actually," Matthew confessed, in what sounded like a casual tone, although Amiti realized that even so slight an immoral behavior as eavesdropping felt dishonorable to the pure young man. Still, the Mercury Adept couldn't help but feel his heart speed up.

"Why would he do that?" he asked, feeling a curious pressure in his heart and head, as if they knew something that could not be betrayed to him. Something he wouldn't let himself know. He tried to shake the feeling, but still it remained.

"I don't know," said Matthew, balancing his head upon his knee and shredding grass into the pond. "I wish I did, Amiti."

Feeling guilty on sight of the depressed expression of the young man next to him, Amiti tried to smile. "It will come to light eventually, I am positive," he replied in what he hoped was a pleasant tone. "Until then, what were your plans for the day?"

"Well, I was _planning_ on sleeping," Matthew grumbled, in a tone quite like his mother, "but that's already been ruined."

"What were you planning to do _after_ waking?" Amiti amended.

The Adept looked thoughtful. "You mean I needed to plan something else?" he said, laughing. "That was as far as my schemes went, honestly. Gotta conserve my strength, because it's going to drain right out of me when I try to propose."

The king laughed. "When are you planning to do that...and how, for that matter?"

"Eoleo's supposed to pick me up," Matthew explained, blowing on a blade of grass before giving up and letting it fall to the ground. "Sometime in the next few days, I'm not actually clear on when. Hopefully after Tyrell's back, because otherwise I'm going to get fried when I come back. I haven't...actually...told him yet."

* * *

"Oh, that shady group?"

Ivan nodded, with some elation. "Yes, you've seen them?" he asked eagerly.

"Sure have!" the man replied, puffing away at a pipe. "Say, you a warrior?" The shop owner seemed to be eyeing Ivan's expensive, well-polished armor and the light blade tucked away at his waist.

The Jupiter Adept sighed. Things were so much easier, he reflected, back when he could just use Mind Read for every little thing. He was severely tempted to do so on the stubborn man in front of him, but he controlled his breathing, and answered with a curt nod.

Raising his eyebrows, the shop owner inquired gruffly, "Whereabouts you coming from, young man?"

After a lifetime of appearing youthful, Ivan was _not_ fond of still being referred to as such. He restrained a sarcastic reply and said, "I come from Kalay. Now, if you would please tell me where I might find that group—"

"If you're not a customer, son, I don't have time to be sittin' around shootin' the breeze with you," the man interrupted. Eyes flashing dangerously, Ivan gave in and felt the energy flow outside of him. The sensation was so nostalgic and familiar, it brought into sharp relief the realization that he had _missed_ the power.

Diving into the thoughts of the surly tradesman, the skilled psychic retrieved the information he desired and surfaced. Breathing heavily at the sudden strain of skills long unused, he smiled, wished the man a good day, and left the shop.

* * *

A bird chirped outside the window, and Jenna twisted her head, smiling. Extracting the tiny package of a tightly rolled letter in exchange for a few seeds, she sent the happy creature on its way again as she unfolded the small scroll.

After opening the door to enjoy the breezy, pleasant weather, she settled herself on a chair to peruse her correspondence. She was a moderately fast reader, and quickly pulled out pen and paper upon finishing the letter. Frowning slightly, she tapped the pen on her chin for a moment before dipping it in ink and beginning her reply.

She felt a presence, and knew that it was Isaac. Not looking up from her work, she greeted him with a, "Hey, honey." He brushed his lips against the top of her hair, and sat down on the next chair; she tried to fix the blob of ink that he'd caused to splatter on the page.

"Answering Mia?" he guessed, with what she imagined was his warm, slightly distant smile. She nodded, remaining focused, and tilted her head toward the direction of the scroll, which had returned to its neat position. He retrieved it and began looking over it.

After a couple of minutes, he heaved a light sigh and set the letter down again. Isaac leaned forward—

"Love, you're blocking my light," Jenna said firmly, and after an apology he returned to his previous position, massaging his beard in thought. The woman next to him bit her lip, and, finally giving in, glanced at her husband. "Well?"

"Well what?" he asked, looking bewildered. She rolled her eyes, somewhat indulgently.

"What did you think of the letter?"

His blue eyes remained astoundingly clear. "I think," he said, after a moment's pause, "that Mia is quite right about Rief, that she should trust Piers on the issue of Nowell, that she should definitely _not_ wear a red dress to any social function whatsoever, and that yes, she is jealous of my cooking abilities."

Jenna laughed at him, rather delighted that he was finding humor in this situation. She teased back, "Well, you know what I think? I think she would look _ravishing_ in red, and that it's you that's jealous."

Isaac feigned hurt. "Me? Jealous of Mia? All she can make is soup, and not very good soup at that!"

"I'm sure she's extended her culinary repertoire since we traveled with her," his wife reminded him, giggling like a schoolgirl. "At least, for the sake of her children, I'd hope she has!"

"And," continued the man with a smile, "I can certainly pull off red better than she can."

"What about me?" challenged Jenna, and the dangerous glint in her eye, however joking, did cause Isaac to shrink slightly.

He replied, "Oh, darling, you look good in any color," and they both laughed.

"Suck-up," she taunted, and he raised his hands in defeat.

"And proud of it," he declared, "it's how I've lived this long."

Chuckling, the husband and wife settled into an old routine that, while long abandoned, felt just as comfortable as slipping on an old pair of shoes, and they quite enjoyed their afternoon. Jenna did not finish her reply to Mia until that night, and nobody really minded.


	11. chapter ten

**silverchain.**

**chapter ten: **a surprisingly indirect confession of enamorment

* * *

Karis was in a marginally better mood the next morning, having in her mind resigned herself to the unhappy fate of a lovelorn spinster, and all the other occupants of the house were too pleased with this turn of events to consider the reasons behind her, if not exactly content, at least less surly mood. That is, of course, excepting Amiti, who was almost more worried at her strange turn of mind than he was with her earlier temper.

As everybody began breaking the morning bread, Isaac said evenly, "You know, I was thinking that perhaps the three of you would be interested in that little village that's sprung up a few miles from here. It would give you a chance to stretch your legs, and keep you in practice for any future adventuring. I'm sure you can find enough to entertain yourselves on the trip and once there."

The younger generation exchanged looks: Matthew looked warily interested, Amiti curious and somewhat excited, and Karis nearly blank, with a forced expression of anticipation. "You just want to get us out of the house, don't you?" Matthew replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Well..." Isaac grinned. "Honestly, yes. I've missed Jenna quite a lot, being away in that cabin."

"Say no more," Amiti said brightly, "a short voyage would be quite beneficial for all of us, obviously." His usually observant blue eyes were fixed on the married couple in front of him, and so he did not notice the wistful look thrown his way by the lovesick Adept a seat away.

Matthew, however, was not so oblivious, and shot a look at Karis, who returned it with an innocent expression about her eyes. The long-suffering Venus Adept sighed at his two friends, and, giving up, returned to his breakfast.

"Karis?" Isaac asked gently, a trace of concern evident in his darkened eyes. "Wouldn't you like to get out and go on a short trip with Matthew and Amiti?"

Like a magic word, she seemed to snap to attention when the king's name was mentioned, and nodded. Amiti smiled at her, but she turned away before their eyes could meet. Matthew sighed again. He had found himself doing that quite a lot lately.

After loading up a few necessities and emergency provisions, the three young Adepts set out into the unknown once more, although for a much shorter journey than before. The crisp air felt fresh on Amiti's face, and he found himself quite enjoying the natural world, especially when the fate of the world did not depend on the success of their trip. Even Karis seemed to be having a good time, and she laughed out loud for the first time in days when a pair of cuckoos made a nest for themselves in Matthew's messy hair.

They broke for lunch in a pleasant meadow. Eating in silence, the Venus Adept could not help but notice the way that Amiti's eyes would wander towards Karis before he would look away, after which she would do the same. Exasperated, Matthew put down his sandwich, opened his mouth, thought better of it, and returned to his meal. Neither of his friends noticed.

By the time they reached the outskirts of the happy little village, Matthew had become fed up with the behavior of both, and found himself missing Sveta quite a lot. Still, it was hard to keep a smile off of his face as he glanced around the sleepy town. A few stores nestled together in the center of town, and around them seemed to focus all of the dwelling-places of the townspeople. A small park, filled with wooden benches and trees emblazoned with the carved emblems of lovers' names, provided a quiet beauty to the simple village.

Noticing that Amiti was hovering near what appeared to be a tiny, musty bookstore filled with aging scrolls and decorative trinkets, Matthew waved him on. "I don't think there's enough room for us to all go in," he said confidently, "but why don't you go on in and scope it out? Karis and I can wait over in the park."

Amiti nodded, eyes bright, and entered the small shop. The Venus Adept took this opportunity to seize Karis' arm, and dragged her to the park, where he sat them both upon a sturdy bench. Confused and out of breath, she only afforded him a questioning look.

"There's something I need to tell you," he replied to her expression, in a slightly hurried tone. She pulled her arm away, still silent, but her eyes were intense with curiosity and concern.

"It's about Amiti," Matthew elaborated, and her face fell.

"I already know," she muttered dimly. The young man, befuddled by her low spirits, put a hand on her shoulder.

"I thought you loved him."

Bright purple met deep blue, and she shoved him in anger, tears threatening to tumble from her eyes. "Of course I do," Karis answered, admitting aloud what she had hardly allowed herself to believe in her mind.

Matthew threw up his hands. "Why are you upset, then? He loves you!"

Her face froze, and it seemed as though even the tears slowly sliding down her face had stopped their descent. "What?" she asked slowly, her voice husky.

"He loves you," repeated Matthew slowly. "You said you already knew..."

"He loves somebody else," she contradicted, still sniffling.

The young man's eyes opened wider with confusion. "No, he doesn't."

"Yes, he does," Karis countered childishly.

"No, he—look," he said, cutting himself off. "He really, truly loves you, Karis, and you're killing him with the way you've been acting!"

Calm, understanding Karis burst into a fit of furious tears. Matthew attempted to comfort her as she sobbed into her hand, but she just kept repeating, "He loves...her...not me..."

"Who?" her friend asked in irritation, but she would not answer. After a minute she dried her eyes once more, caught her breath, and sat there, obviously teetering on the edge of another breakdown but otherwise reserved.

Matthew tried again. "Who are you convinced he loves? I'm sure you're wrong, but—"

"Sveta," Karis said, in a tone of utmost sorrow and resignation.

This time, it was his turn to freeze, but he quickly shook his head, keeping himself level. "No, he doesn't."

She only looked at him sympathetically.

"He doesn't," he said, trying to put things to rights. "How would you know that anyway?"

She didn't meet his eyes.

"Karis..."

"I read his mind, okay?"

A feeling came over Matthew that made him quite glad he was already seated. Blinking away the shock of the words, he looked at her, almost blankly.

"I read his mind, and...and he loves Sveta. Not me. So thanks, but it's no use." She hiccupped.

It was obvious that his attempt to reconcile these ideas was not successful. Almost to himself, he said, "But I told him that I was going to ask her."

"What?"

Matthew looked up at her, and with the relief of setting a secret free, he confessed, "I told him that I was going to propose to Sveta."

Karis appeared as though this shock barely registered in the aftereffects of the last few surprises. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't really confident that she'd say yes," he answered, and chuckled bitterly. "Well, it won't now, I guess."

"You don't know that," she replied comfortingly, tucking a spike behind his ear with sisterly affection, forcing herself to remain hopeful even with the fresh and sharp wounds in her heart begging to be pitied.

Matthew sighed, and turned slightly away. "Yes, I do. We both know who you would choose, why should I expect that Sveta would feel any different?" Even though she couldn't see his face, she could tell that a few tears were slipping from his eyes.

"That's not fair," Karis reminded him around the pangs in her heart. "We're different people. I see you as a brother, but that doesn't mean that she does."

"He has everything," he said with obvious pain. "He's the king of a small country, Karis. She's a queen, it only makes sense. I don't know why I ever thought I had a chance."

"He doesn't have family," she answered reflectively.

"He has us," Matthew argued.

Flaring up unexpectedly, Karis glared at him with a rage only equalled in Jenna's most passionate moments. "Clearly we haven't been a proper family to him! He didn't even trust us enough to tell us something like that."

"He _told_ me that he loved you," her friend told her, with obvious anger. "It's hardly my fault that he's a liar."

"Don't call him that!" she shrieked, once more losing control of her emotions. Matthew was finding it hard to ignore the sparks flying in her hair and hands that were getting dangerously close to his person.

"Karis? Matthew? Has something happened?" Amiti was standing, feet away now, but not close enough to have heard the prior conversation. Still, the tear-tracks on both the Adepts' faces and their distraught expressions were clear for anybody to see, and concern etched deep frown lines across the youthful king's face. On sight of him, so worried and so heartbreakingly kind, Karis collapsed once more into sobs, and Matthew glared.

The Venus Adept put an arm around his friend, guiding her into him and comforting him, but he never took his eyes off of the Mercury Adept, who was still standing a few feet away, arms outstretched, completely at a loss.


	12. chapter eleven

**silverchain.**

**chapter eleven: **some men take quite a lot of pride in being right

* * *

Ivan deeply despised the uneasy feeling currently spreading over his limbs with every fiber in his being not already occupied with worry for Karis and irritation with the entire situation. Trekking through the cavern, he swung his lamp around, knowing Alex's avoidant and sneaky manner. Dread struck his heart in the silence of the cave, but he continued on bravely.

The Lemurian had remained on board with Nowell, partly due to concern for her safety (despite her continued reassurances that she could definitely take care of herself), and partly because Ivan asked him to do so. He did not wish the burden of another's safety on a mission so close to his heart, so it was up to him to make the journey alone. Whether Alex currently occupied the hidden chamber was quite a different matter than the fact that he certainly frequented the spot; Ivan felt quite skeptical of having so much good (or bad, as the case may be) fortune to happen upon the safe place when "Arcanus", as he now styled himself, was present.

Even though it had been three decades since he trained his ear to the sound, Ivan quickly zeroed in on the gently swishing of a cloak. Quietly, he choked out, "Alex."

A Psynergetic ball of energy appeared over his head, illuminating the figure before him, who coolly extended a hand. Ivan refused it, and Alex, looking only mildly offended and very much as if he expected such an outcome, lounged on a stone parapet. The Jupiter Adept glanced around.

"Hardly a welcoming place, is it?" he remarked, and Alex's eyes glinted with amusement.

"The lower level is where I entertain guests," the man replied, voice silken, "but you do not seem to have come for a friendly visit."

"You're right," Ivan confessed, standing at his full height and allowing his observant eyes to flick around the place. Alex chuckled.

"I haven't booby-trapped it, or any such nonsense as that. I am well within my own country, if you remember."

Lavender eyes flashing, Ivan countered, "Why all the secrecy, then?"

"I am a high-ranking official of this country," Alex returned casually, with a smirk. "If something were to happen to me, I daresay the country would suffer a great loss. So tell me," he continued in a conversational tone, "what is your purpose in coming here, Ivan?"

It was second nature for Ivan to reply in kind. "Alex," he said, voice level with measured amounts of spite and confidence, "I find it hard to believe that you, always the great chessmaster behind the scenes, do not understand the reason for my visit."

"Ah, but I quite honestly do not understand, old companion. That would be the reason that I asked you." Stretching a hand towards a lever on the wall, he said in an off-hand tone, "Let's move to somewhere a bit more comfortable, shall we?"

The bottom dropped out of Ivan's stomach and of the floor: it wasn't a floor at all, but a moving platform, made of zol, which now glimmered with energy. The rush was quickly over, and he stumbled into a richly decorated chamber. Alex gestured lazily to a comfortable chair near the one in which he seated himself, and Ivan was quick to regain his composure.

Alex posed himself in a traditional "listening" stance, legs crossed, eyes bright, and head resting on a propped arm. Deciding to cut to the meat of the matter, the Jupiter Adept broke the silence.

"Have you had any...romantic...partners over the years, Alex?"

It was evident that a question of _that_ nature was not what the man had expected, and he repositioned himself, raising a quizzical eyebrow. "I assume there is a reason for you to ask this, Ivan?"

He nodded curtly.

"I have never known you to ask needless questions," continued Alex, "and your theories were nearly always right. Those little eyes, darting from place to place, and that expression you have when you have it all figured out, oh yes, I see that again. What do I have to gain from answering such a rude question?"

"Just answer the question, Alex," Ivan replied through gritted teeth.

"Is it possible to turn it around on you? Of course, I have met the evidence of your 'romantic partner'...that daughter of yours. Karis. I hear she is quite as bright as you were when you were her age, and twice as tall." He inspected his gloves at this offhand insult, and a faint blush tinged the still-youthful cheeks of the man near him. "I suppose you married?"

"Yes," admitted Ivan, feeling his control of the situation slip away.

"Something terribly tragic must have happened to her," Alex mused, "I can see it. Well?"

"There was an accident. She died. Surely you know this already, don't you?" Ivan's tone was accusing, and Alex raised his hands in a mock gesture of peace.

"Stay, stay, and why would I care about your personal matters? I've hardly bothered to research your romantic life in the years since I saw you last, Ivan. If I answered 'yes', as you no doubt expect me to, what would be the consequence?"

"Could it be possible for you to have a child from such a union?" inquired Ivan immediately.

Alex's eyebrows ascended in a way only perceptible to one paying close attention to his person. "I suppose it would be possible, naturally. I am quite astonished at this...usually you are immediately on track with such matters, but it seems as though you are 'barking up the wrong tree'."

"Am I?" Ivan's eyes were dark and intense, and he realized he was gripping the arms of his chair. "What if she bore a son, about twenty years old now, appearance very like yours, traveling companion of Matthew's?"

He blinked slowly. "Well, I see that you are onto my little tryst. I may as well admit that yes, I am the father of the young man you speak of. Amiti. Quite a charming boy, isn't he? They teach very good manners in Ayuthay. His mother—"

"Does he know?" Ivan demanded instantly, and the look on Alex's face answered his question. Pleased with the way things were going, he reclined in his chair, unable to keep a smug smile from his face.

"I won't ask why it is of consequence to you," Alex replied, "because it's written all over your face. Such a doting father! I'm sure that you think your dear, darling clever daughter is too good to marry any son of mine."

"Did you put him up to this?" Ivan asked angrily, and Alex waved him away.

"How could I? We've barely met. No, I'm afraid that he took the idea into his head all on his own, although _if_ it becomes helpful to my ends, well, that is just the icing on the cake." The glint in those mysterious eyes, so very like Amiti's, made Ivan feel sick.

* * *

The three young Adepts returned that night, silent as death and twice as morose. Jenna, in all of her upbeat temper, tried to wrangle an explanation or a smile out of any one of them, but all avoided her eyes like she was Medusa. Isaac, for his part, regarded them with penetrating looks, but said not a word.

The sheets felt cold and unwelcome to Karis's legs, mostly bare in her sleeping-robe. She curled up miserably beneath them, clutching the edges and breathing heavily. Eventually, her body heat brought warmth to everything except the recesses of her heart, where chilly depression, despair, and apathy towards all things not Amiti forced shivers down her spine.

She considered, shaking under the covers, reaching into the next room to feel the presence of the young men, but she shook the idea off quickly. It would only bring her more misery, and she hardly had room in her heart for another drop of the stuff. Praying for alleviation, she ducked her head under the sheets and slept.

Matthew, quite tired, fell asleep almost immediately, but woke up fitfully. The periods of wakefulness felt worse than the most horrific tortures to him, because he had nothing to think of except _Sveta_, and Amiti, and Sveta-and-Amiti, the last of which was a thought almost physically painful to consider. The sword leaning against his bedposts served as a terrible temptation to the troubled young man, who, if not for his nobility and strength of character, would gladly have killed the king who slept deeply a few feet away.

Amiti's dreams were hardly more pleasant than Matthew's schemes for him. Caught in a dizzying, almost hallucinatory landscape, the Adept was helpless to aid Karis, whose cries became louder and more fervent with every dazzling mound of technicolor that consumed him. He nearly woke several times in an attempt to check his own temperature, which, while in fact normal, felt more feverish than any inferno conceived of above the gates of Hades. He gasped for air, and Matthew glanced at him dully, unable to force compassion for the young man that had ruined his most treasured dreams. The Venus Adept sighed and, scrunching his pillows, attempted to return to the peaceful repose of slumber.


	13. chapter twelve

**silverchain.**

**chapter twelve: **bringing clarity to a befuzzled mind

* * *

"Hey! Am I going to have to set you on fire to wake you up, ya lazy bum?"

Matthew's eyes snapped open, and gradually focused on the flame-haired individual shoving him out of the bed. Grappling with the covers, he threw them aside, and with a mix of early-morning grumpiness and earnest excitement, he shouted, "Tyrell! Nicer ways to treat your best friend, you know."

"Not when he's a boring, lazy pile of bones! C'mon, I've been up for hours." It was clear that he was telling the truth—his green eyes were shining bright, and he was nearly vibrating with energy. Matthew had a feeling the other young man had been quite eager to come home.

Suddenly reminded of the events of the past few days, the Venus Adept's eyes flicked over to the opposite side of the room. Amiti's bed lay vacant; he must have risen already. "You okay?" Tyrell asked, clapping him on the back, and Matthew nodded slowly.

"Seen any of the others yet?" he asked weakly, and Tyrell shook his head, bushy clumps of hair moving as he did so.

"Well, 'xcept for your mom. She sent me on over. Think Dad was talkin' to her about where your dad was and all," he added in an offhand manner. "So what's been going on? You look kinda worn out."

Matthew opened his mouth to explain, but thought better of it when a few clomps from the hallway reached his ears. Karis plodded into the room, hair messy and unbrushed, eyes at half-mast. "Mornin'," she mumbled, settling herself comfortably on the bed near the two boys. Matthew and Tyrell exchanged looks.

"Uh, why are you here?" Tyrell asked, never one for subtlety. "Ivan...Master Ivan kick you out or something?"

She yawned. "He's on a...trip, and since," her eyes darkened, "Amiti was already here and all..."

The hefty young man's eyes bulged. "Amiti's here?" he exclaimed. "Wait, are we having some sort of reunion thing that Matthew didn't mention?"

"He's here to work out some treaty or something," she replied, and Matthew winced. He was still unsure of Amiti's previous truthfulness, and of the credibility of Karis' mind-reading adventure. Still, he kept silent. Tyrell nodded enthusiastically and grinned.

"So where is he?"

Matthew shrugged. "Probably off somewhere in town."

"He's an early riser," Karis added, flushing slightly. Matthew looked at her with slight surprise, wondering at her apparent attachment to the young king. Had she forgotten yesterday's events? The look in her eye told him that she hadn't, but she was remaining remarkably calm about the situation—at least, compared with her previous, horrible state.

"Gotta love Kalay," Tyrell said confidently. "I could smell it from a mile away."

"Is that a compliment or an insult to our dear hometown?" Matthew asked, smirking.

His best friend pretended to think for a moment. "Both?" he guessed, and Karis giggled.

"Are you gonna crash?" the Venus Adept said, somewhat warily, and Tyrell shook his head.

"Hey, I've been away from Kalay for a month! Besides, I got plenty of rest. You know how I sleep," he added, and they nodded, smiling. "Anything new in town?"

"Tyrell!" said a voice from the doorway, and all three Adepts turned to look. Amiti stood there, hesitating at whether or not to come in. Tyrell strode up to him, and the young king shook the Adept's muscular hand.

"Wait, am I supposed to bow or something?" he asked Karis nervously, and she shook her head good-naturedly.

"We're old friends," Amiti told him, smiling genuinely. "There is certainly no need for such formalities." Entering the room proper, he stood as the others sat, and they fell to discussing times that seemed old to them, although their adventures had only ended a few months before. While Matthew seemed, at the very least, able to tolerate him, Karis never met his eye save once, when she glared with a fury that sent daggers whirling through the young king's heart. He was, of course, utterly mystified as to her sudden anger against him.

The day passed quickly and blurrily for the young friends. They shared a meal fixed by the adults, although they were forced to promise they would in turn fix the night's dinner; they browsed the bustling city in the lazy afternoon; they prepared dinner among many laughs and in the cool dusky breeze. Still, the atmosphere was hardly clear. Matthew's shaky acceptance of Amiti was palpable, as was Karis's awkward, ever-changing emotions concerning the Water Adept.

Both Matthew and Amiti declared themselves too tired to stay up late, but Karis, although obviously weary, kept her eyes open longer. Tyrell, eyes serious for once, seized the opportunity to speak to her alone in the sitting room.

"Hey," he began gently, trying his best to be tactful, although that was a skill not naturally born to him, "what exactly is going on with you, Amiti, and Matthew?"

She looked up, and her dimmed eyes met his friendly, ice blue pair. Karis sighed, and patted the seat next to her. He took it, resting his head upon his hands.

"I didn't think you'd notice," she said reflectively to her hands, and he frowned at her.

"Just because I'm not the sharpest sword in the shed doesn't mean that I'm completely unobservant," he chided her. "Even _I_ can tell that something's messed up. What is it?"

Karis looked down the hall, and felt, with a more easy Psynergetic rush, that Matthew and Amiti were soundly sleeping in the other room. "I...well, I love Amiti," she admitted.

"Yeah, so?"

She wrinkled her brow, and looked up to his eyes, which still appeared quite concerned, but unsurprised. "Am I that obvious?" she asked sadly, glancing back at her hands once more.

A large hand rested on her shoulder. "That's not what I meant. Come on, Karis, I've known you since we were little kids. Did you really expect me to be that clueless to the way you feel about him? What's the problem?"

Willing herself to remain calm, she tried to recount the events emotionlessly. "Well, ever since he arrived things have been...kind of crazy. First it was really nice, I showed him around, he spoke to Lady Layana, stuff like that. Dad wasn't too happy about him, and I could tell, but I thought it was just, you know, general overprotectiveness. He's always been that way."

Karis heard the rustle that accompanied Tyrell's affirmative nod, and took this as a sign to continue. "Then Matthew came home, and that was good, too. It even seemed at first like Amiti might be...well, a little jealous of him. In a good way, I mean. Dad left, and he was kind of mysterious about the reason, and that was pretty worrying, but other than that, everything was fine."

"That was a few days ago, right?" Tyrell asked roughly, obviously trying to keep his voice low. She nodded, still trying to keep her emotional distance from the situation.

"Yes, it was. A few days ago...well...I'll be honest with you. I've been practicing Mind Read in secret, and I was so curious..." Karis waited for him to catch her meaning.

After a minute, he did so. "You read Amiti's mind?"

"Matthew's, actually." She stopped, and her eyes seemed focused on something not physically with them. "Wait...I read _Matthew's_ mind. But a few days later...yesterday...he didn't seem to know."

"Know what?" Tyrell asked impatiently.

"That Amiti was going to propose to Sveta."

"Sveta?" He sounded incredulous.

"I must have messed up!" Karis breathed. "I read Matthew's mind, but he didn't know! Tyrell! I messed up!"

He smiled. "I've been telling you for years that you're not really perfect," he teased, and she made a face at him.

"This is great," she said enthusiastically, obviously caught up in the moment. "Oh, right. So Matthew is all upset at Amiti because, you know, _he's_ going to propose to Sveta—"

"Wait, what?" interrupted Tyrell.

She openly laughed at him. "You saw that I loved Amiti but not Matthew's feelings for Sveta?"

"I knew he liked her," he mumbled, "but I didn't know it was that serious. Why didn't he tell me?"

"He didn't want to tell me either," she said sympathetically. "It just sort of came out when he was telling me that Amiti loved me, but then I told him about Amiti and Sveta...but I didn't think about that, that I got the information from Matthew's mind in the first place!"

Tyrell grinned, although his countenance remained slightly confused. "So...I helped...right?"

"You did!" She hugged him tightly. "Oh, I wish I could talk to Amiti or Matthew now, to get this whole mess ironed out, but," she glanced at the direction of their room, "I'm afraid they're passed out."

"Plenty of time in the morning," he reassured her cheerfully, and Karis beamed in reply.

"There sure is. I'm going to hit the hay." She hugged him again, and started walking toward her room.

Tyrell stood there after she had gone, a rather self-satisfied expression on his face, for a moment, before taking upon himself to leave the house, closing it soundly behind him, and made his way to his own home, ready for a night's rest.


	14. chapter thirteen

**silverchain.**

**chapter thirteen: **a confession interrupted

* * *

**Anonymous - **thank you so much! you're definitely right about consistency, and please let me know if i ever end up developing errors with that in this story.

Dazzling sunlight poured into the room, and Karis felt her heart lift as she sat up and stretched. Brushing her hair, she sidled into the sitting room, which was, to her surprise, mostly empty. Glancing outside, her brow furrowed. It was certainly past time for everybody to be up, but perhaps they were outside. Slipping into the bright day, she shielded her face with a hand.

As she squinted, the sudden sense of a presence behind her made her jump. Twisting around, she found herself staring up at Matthew's troubled blue eyes. "Where's Amiti?" she asked, a creeping feeling tingling throughout her body.

He merely gestured. On the hill, a sillhouette, clad in robes that were no less than blinding in the brilliance of the morning. Karis found her feet moving towards the figure, and she wondered vaguely when this had begun.

Reaching out an arm, her fingers brushed the soft material slung around his body. She swallowed. He turned, and before she knew what was happening, her face was buried in the sweet-smelling fabric keeping their skin from touching directly. The warmth of his arms around her was almost too much to bear, but she was even afraid to sweat.

"Why are you leaving?"

He didn't ask how she knew. In fact, Amiti did not say anything at all, but merely caressed her hair briefly. Closing his fingers and letting the green locks fall through them, he finally answered. "They need me."

Karis's eyes must have been completely blank.

"There has been...a disaster," he elaborated, voice still soft and silky, reminding her of the cloth she was still clutching. She released him, rather embarrassed.

"What happened?"

The young king sighed. "To be honest, I am not entirely sure. I received a letter, and I knew I needed to depart immediately."

"Amiti," she began, but he squeezed her hand before releasing it. Dizzy from the shocks, she wondered when exactly their hands had become linked.

"I have to go, but I will try my best to return." Already, she felt her composure spinning away from her. Would he really return? She somehow doubted it, considering the way that she had acted in the past few days. If he had been interested in her in _that_ way, she was sure she had ruined her chances. Feeling tears springing to her eyes, but resolutely holding them back, she gripped his arm with both of her hands, realizing how ridiculous she looked but finding it impossible to care.

"Please, stay," she found herself pleading, and when he patiently shook his head, her blood began to boil. He calmed her with a brush of his cool hand against her steaming forehead.

"I love you," he told her as seriously and yet as easily as someone who had anticipated a situation long in coming. "I will be back, but I cannot be sure when. When I return...I am going to ask you to marry me, whether or not Ivan has yet approved."

Karis nodded feverishly, but it was only after Amiti had disappeared over the winding road and she had fallen to her knees in prayer that she fully realized what he had told her.

He loved her. He planned to marry her. As she sat on the warm ground, considering these matters, she realized that the tears she had so willfully held back were now streaming down her face, but only as an expression of the joy she now felt. A smile began to overtake her face, and she whooped for joy. "He loves me!"

* * *

"Hey, what, are you jealous or something?" Tyrell asked jokingly, shoving Matthew as they turned away from Amiti and Karis's intimate display. Trying to smile, the Venus Adept shook his head.

"Look...I should tell you. I was planning to propose to Sveta..."

"Yeah, Karis told me," his best friend cut him off.

Matthew stared blankly. "Why?"

Rolling his eyes, the redhead explained, "Well, she was catching me up on how she loves Amiti but you love Sveta and she thought that Amiti was proposing to Sveta because she read _your_ mind, but when you guys talked she forgot whose mind and so now you think that Amiti's after your girl when, in fact, he completely loves Karis."

In response to the dumbstruck expression on the other young man's face, Tyrell added, "I'm not _that_ oblivious, ya know."

"Only because Karis tells you stuff," Matthew grumbled good-naturedly.

"Please! Like you'd know anything if she didn't talk to _you_." The two boys-at-heart grinned at each other for a moment. "So, uh, when _are_ you gonna propose to Sveta?"

"Whenever Eoleo gets his butt over here, that's when," Matthew said, and Tyrell laughed boomingly at him.

"Hey!" The young woman ran over to them, and for a second both of the male Adepts froze at the sight of the tears on her cheeks. Karis was beaming brightly, however, and quickly shouted excitedly, "Guess what? He loves me!"

"Yeah, and?" Matthew asked, making a face at her, and she ruffled his hair.

"Oh, Matthew! Tyrell and I were talking last night, and we realized that—"

"Yeah, yeah, you read _my_ mind, not Amiti's, and so you thought he was proposing to Sveta. I figured that out when he was all but carrying you off in his arms."

The words hardly seemed to reach Karis; she was off in another world, but the pressure of a hand on her shoulder bolted her back to reality. She turned, clearly hoping that Amiti would have changed his mind.

Instead, her father's face, worn and with a few more wrinkles since the last time she had seen it, greeted her. They embraced briefly. "You're back!" she said breathlessly, smiling at him. He afforded her a short look before turning to Matthew and Tyrell.

"Hello, boys. Where are your parents?"

"Think they're at my house," Tyrell replied casually. "Hey, where'd you go...?"

Ivan was already making his way through the streets. The three young Adepts watched him with a mixture of excitement and concern, as the blond man disappeared from view. After a minute, Karis said in a strangely subdued tone, "I'm going to follow him. Don't wait up for me."

A chill ran through the air.


	15. chapter fourteen

**silverchain.**

**chapter fourteen: **concerns left unresolved; or, why not to offend an Adept

* * *

"Dad."

Karis, panting slightly, grabbed her father by the shoulder. Ivan looked at her with a kind but intense gaze, his mouth set in a firm line. "I need to speak to Jenna, Karis. I will talk to you in a minute."

"No." Her tone was not angry, but deadly quiet, and as he met her eyes, he realized resistance was pointless. Ivan relaxed slightly, slid down the wall to sit comfortably on the ground, and motioned for her to do so. His daughter followed his lead, but her eyes never left his.

"Is there something wrong?" Ivan asked gently.

Fiercely, she replied, "Yes, there is. Why did you leave? What do you have against Amiti?" Unconsciously, the young woman traced geometric shapes in the dust at her feet.

"Where is Amiti?" His tone indicated that the young king's absence was inconsequential, but had gone unnoticed. A crow cawed in the distance. Her mouth tightened.

"He's gone." Karis's voice was robotic, mechanical; even Ivan, knowing her as well as he did, had difficulty detecting emotion in her words. The emotion was there, he knew, and his heart pained for the one he cared for the most in this world. Still, he was not a pushover, and kept his own countenance unemotional but receptive.

"I'm sorry," her father said, honestly meaning it. Discoveries about the boy's paternity and worries about his character aside, Ivan recognized how deeply Karis cared for the Mercury Adept. Seeing his only child, the only blood relative save Hama left to him, in such pain was nigh unbearable. She appeared unmoved at his sentiment, however.

"Why did you leave?" she repeated, eyes dark and stormy, looking so like his deceased wife that Ivan wasn't sure whether to smile or sob at the resemblance. Still, he knew that he could not give in to the temptation of allowing her to know all until he had a chance to discuss the situation with the older generation of Adepts.

Trying his hardest to express his emotions, he softly answered, "I cannot tell you right now, Karis."

Eyes welling up with anger, she growled, "I need to know. You have to tell me! I know it has something to do with Amiti...doesn't it?"

Ivan was not sure whether or not his face betrayed the whirlpooling emotions and thoughts brewing inside him, but he calmly said, "I cannot tell you that either, Karis."

Obviously threatening tears, his daughter sniffled for a second before hardening her eyes again. "Where did you go, Dad?"

"Why did Amiti leave?" he countered, feeling a sudden rush of suspicion.

"Why should I tell you?" Karis sounded near hysterics. Feeling his fatherly instincts overpowering his reason, Ivan reached out an arm to draw her closer. To his surprise, she did not resist, but neither did she lean into him further. Her skin was feverish.

"Have you been sleeping, Karis?" he asked, suddenly worried for her physical health. She nodded, still sniffling. Deep within her heart, a notion that she had repeatedly buried reared its tempting head, and she realized that now, when Ivan was at his most vulnerable, would be the time to execute it.

Swallowing, she murmured, "I'm sorry, Daddy." He looked confused for a moment before falling into a stupor. The slight loss of power threw her for a second, but she soon recovered her spiritual balance, and sought within her for the power that a still novice mind reader would require.

Finding such power, she began to concentrate it in her hands, and, in a motion seemingly instinctual and more natural that breathing, she touched her hands to her father's forehead, and discovered herself once more wading through thoughts.

However, Ivan's mind, while much more categorized and logical inside than Matthew's, was also more crowded and, at the moment, turbulent. The gusts of emotion nearly overcame her as she dove deeper into the layers of thought, but determination was on her side. A memory floated near, and Karis somehow knew that this was the knowledge she craved.

_"Why such secrecy?"_

_A flash of blue, a cloak rustling. The sounds were familiar to her strained ears...or rather, she realized with a start, his. Was such a thing possible? The memory was jumbled, and yet..._

_"What is your purpose in coming here..."_

_That voice...oh, let me see! Why can't I see? A cave, deep...dark, yes, definitely a cave, but..._

_"Ivan?"_

_She felt dizzy, and felt _herself_ in some way reply, but her words were muddled. Karis...Ivan...couldn't understand himself, but it seemed as though the stranger, whose face was still blurry in the mind, understood._

_"Alex," s(he) pronounced finally, and__—_

Flung against a wall, Karis's head burned with pain. Her eyes were swimming, but she could make out through them the furious expression on her father's face. Still, her feelings overpowered his.

"Why...whytheh...why would you go to...Alex?" she choked out.

"Why would you invade my privacy, Karis? How did you even learn how to do that? I swore I would never teach you...we all thought that it was a blessing that you weren't born with the gift..." Evidently at a loss, he sunk once more to the ground.

"Nobody taught me. I thought...the way Sveta uses it, it didn't seem to be a bad thing..." Guilt began to overwhelm her, but she forced herself to remember what Ivan had done. The betrayal, in her eyes, that he had committed.

"I thought I raised you better than that," he said coldly.

Nearly spitting with rage, she exclaimed, "Why is it always about you and what you should have done or could have done? I'm my own person, I can make my own mistakes, and I don't think this was one of them! Who knows what else you're hiding from me. I bet that's why you didn't want me to learn Mind Read, you thought that you could hide things away from me forever. I'm done taking this from you."

"I wanted to protect you!" Ivan almost shouted back, realizing for the first time that tears were streaming down his cheeks. Suddenly reminded of his childhood, he wiped them away angrily.

"From what? You sent me off into the world, facing death and torment and monsters and..."

"I didn't know that you would be in danger, it was just a simple quest!"

"Oh, so it's my fault that the Grave Eclipse ruined your plans!" she snapped.

"I never said that," her father replied testily.

"How long were you going to keep it from me that you went to see Alex?" Karis demanded, eyes burning.

Ivan paused. "Only until I discussed it with Jenna, Isaac, and Garet."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Solemnly, he met her eyes. "I am, love." It was very rare for Ivan to use such terms, but the word slipped through his lips without consideration. His daughter looked surprised at the affection, but her anger did not appear to lessen.

After a minute, Karis relaxed slightly. "You still won't tell me why, will you?" she asked in a tone more sad than vengeful. His heart lifted slightly.

"No," Ivan told her gently, and his daugher looked resigned. "I need to speak to the rest before I make an even bigger mess of everything. Karis...dear...I'm sorry. You have my full apologies."

"I'm sorry too," she muttered. Father and daughter embraced, but Karis pulled away quickly. Gesturing, she said in a lighter tone, "Go on and tell them what happened. I want to know as soon as possible!"


	16. chapter fifteen

**silverchain.**

**chapter fifteen: **truth surfacing

* * *

Jenna took a deep breath. Telling people things they didn't want to hear was usually a favorite occupation of hers; however, this was _Karis_ and about _Amiti_, and it nearly broke her own heart. She prayed that the girl would be open, and, voice cracking slightly, she called out gently, "Karis?"

The young woman appeared in the doorway almost instantly, green hair falling in her face. "What is it?" she asked, in a tone that could mean anticipation or dread. Jenna feared that the latter would be a more appropriate emotion.

"Ivan...thought it best for me to tell you about Alex," she hedged, and patted the empty seat next to her. The older woman remembered Isaac's words to her. Her husband had told her earnestly that he loved her and believed in her, and while Jenna was not positive that she was the right one to break the news to Karis, the others assured her this was a situation that required a woman's touch.

The Jupiter Adept scrunched up her face. "Why?"

Jenna passed a hand over her forehead. "Jeez, I better not be getting sick," she muttered.

"What's that?" Karis asked, taking the offered seat and appearing expectant. Jenna twisted her own auburn hair nervously, a habit which she still had not broken after all of these years.

"Nothing. Anyway...are you ready?"

"Of course." The young woman appeared to have accepted the situation in her own, level-headed way, and Jenna nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed at her own distraught state.

"The reason that your father went to see Alex...was about Amiti," she began.

No surprise registered in the other woman's eyes.

Rubbing the sofa fabric absent-mindedly as she spoke, Jenna continued, "He saw something in Amiti that made him nervous. A resemblance, I guess. I don't know, I don't understand Ivan's mind. Anyway, he smelled a rat when Amiti revealed the story about his past."

"Amiti was entirely honest with him," Karis replied, a hint of anger coloring her words. Jenna winced.

"That's not what I meant, or what he did, for that matter. He just...realized something was suspicious. Something Amiti couldn't help. So, he went to see Alex, to see if his...his conjecture...was right."

"And?"

"It was," Jenna said darkly.

The Jupiter Adept pursed her lips, but did not add to the conversation.

The Mars Adept, in her turn, realized that the truth had to come out. "Alex is Amiti's father."

"What?"

Jenna's brow furrowed, and she spun in her seat to face the other direction. Matthew and Tyrell stood at the entrance to the house. Her son appeared concerned; Tyrell thunderstruck.

"Matthew! Didn't your father tell you I was going to have a _private_ conversation with Karis?" she demanded.

The young man spread his hands wide. "Uh...no. What...what's going on?"

Karis still seemed to be digesting the information, and barely noticed the boys' presence. The older woman sighed.

"Well, you might as well come on in and sit, since you've already heard the bombshell."

"So, you're serious?" Tyrell asked, eyes wide.

Matthew pulled his best friend over to the chairs opposite the couch, and they took the seats. The young leader never took his eyes off of his mother. Finally, he nodded. "That makes sense," he said softly.

"Wh-what should I do?" Karis questioned, in a voice so small and so lost that the three other occupants of the room goggled at her. Karis, strong, confident, independent Karis didn't know what to do.

After a minute, Tyrell spoke up roughly. "Why does it matter?"

"What?" The young woman seemed only a step away from rage, but he did not back down.

"I mean it. Why does it matter? So freakin' what. Alex is Amiti's dad. He didn't even meet him til lately, and it's not like evil gets passed down, right? He's a good guy, no matter who his dad is. And you love him. So..." He shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. "I say, go for it."

Silence fell again. Karis stared at her lap, Matthew somewhere out the window. Tyrell kept his resolute expression; Jenna bit her lip, considering.

"I agree with Tyrell," she said bluntly. "He _is _a good guy, and a good king, for that matter. He loves you so much, Karis. There's no reason to hold this against him, especially because he doesn't even know yet."

"Someone needs to tell him," Matthew added thoughtfully.

"Why not you?" Tyrell asked. He shuffled his feet uncomfortably at the sudden attention the other three bestowed on him at this comment. "I mean, you're the leader and all."

"You mean, I was," Matthew corrected. "When we all traveled together."

"No. I mean you are." The redhead looked at the Venus Adept seriously. "You really think all this junk is over? You're the leader, and you're always gonna be the leader."

"He's right," Karis said suddenly. "Just like Isaac is for them." She jerked her head towards Jenna.

"Why not you, then?" Matthew countered. "If you still love him, I mean. He asked you to marry him."

"He did?" Jenna pouted. "Nobody tells me anything."

A gentle breeze floated through the open window. Karis shook her head. "No, Matthew. It should be you. Yes, I still love him, and...I do still want to marry him. I want to accept his proposal, whether I have Dad's permission or not. But...he doesn't need to hear this from me."

"All right," the young man agreed. "We can go straight to Ayuthay after Morgal."

"Why Morgal?" his mother asked.

Matthew's eyes were steely. "I need to talk to Sveta."

Jenna felt uncomfortable. While the beastman sounded like a sweet girl, marriage at that young age made her uneasy. What if Matthew got into something that he didn't really want, and he was too chivalrous to get out of the relationship? Remembering how Karis felt about Ivan's disapproval, however, the woman kept silent.

"How are we gonna get there?" Karis wondered.

Tyrell grinned, and raised his eyebrows. "Being friends with pirates is _great_."


	17. chapter sixteen

**silverchain.**

**chapter sixteen: **a journey begun; or, a battle for love

* * *

"All right, load on up," a gruff voice sounded. Karis smiled.

"Already done!" she sang back cheerfully, eyes glimmering in the midday sun. Fresh determination had fueled her decision, and Eoleo had been pleasantly surprised to hear that she was coming along—and especially because her reason was Amiti. While their relationship had been rocky at best from the first, the king and the pirate now got along rather well. The sunny weather matched her current disposition, and the young lady was quite sure that nothing could bring her down.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her, and she looked up into the aforementioned pirate's affectionate eyes. "You're such a softie," she said, wriggling out of the embrace. He laughed at her.

"You pack like a girl," Tyrell complained, lugging half of Matthew's baggage to the ship. The other young man shrugged.

"I like to be prepared." His blue eyes seemed to be focused on something in the distance, invisible to everybody else; Karis guessed that he was lost in thoughts of Sveta, once again.

"We about ready?" Eoleo asked, running a large hand through his unruly hair. Matthew glanced around, surveying the loaded baggage and the four friends before nodding.

"Not quite."

"Ivan?" Tyrell asked incredulously. The man, striding onto the scene, raised an eyebrow, and the Mars Adept cleared his throat. "Uh, I mean, Master Ivan. What gives? I, for one, am ready for Matthew to stop lazin' around and pining away for his lady love." The other young man looked embarrassed at this, and occupied himself with pretending to check his luggage over once more.

"Dad, you're not going to stop me from going," Karis said firmly, and her father sighed. His large, violet eyes were sad, but nearly as steely as hers. For a moment, the silence was so deep that the only sound was the gentle slop of the sea. Even the gulls seemed afraid to sound their calls.

Ivan looked at her. "I do not intend to. I am going with you." The words dropped from his mouth quietly.

Eoleo merely regarded the Jupiter Adept as a curiosity, and Karis realized with a sinking feeling that the oldest of their fellowship did not understand Ivan's disapproval. "I've made up my mind," she growled.

Her father raised a hand, and she noticed for the first time how thin he had become. He had always been rather undersized, but comfortably muscular after his world-saving endeavours, but it seemed as though his recent travels had taken a different sort of toll. She bit her lip, suddenly feeling a rush of guilt. What if he really needed her to stay? She couldn't just let Amiti slip between her fingers...

"I do not come to stop you," Ivan said calmly. "I...well, although I was not here for the greater portion of his visit, I have seen and heard enough of Amiti to understand him. I think that he would feel guilty if he realized that you came to him without my permission; so I come to offer it. I will not interfere."

Karis felt increasingly unaware of the gaggle of friends watching the scene. "Do you promise?" she asked quietly, feeling as though she was once again a little girl on her father's knee. After a pause, he nodded solemnly, and his eyes crinkled into a familiar expression, although not without a tint of sorrow.

"I will do my best," her father told her. She resisted the urge to "check the facts", as her "Aunt" Sheba had sometimes called the use of Mind Read, and kept her face emotionless.

"Well, I'm glad to see that worked out," cut in a female voice, and Jenna, hair tossed into a sleek ponytail, walked closer. Her eyes were almost dangerously bright, and her reddened lips were pursed.

"I hope you're not here to stop _me_," Matthew said, obviously displeased. His mother drew close, and stared up at her teenage son with a fierce expression.

"Why would I stop you? I came to tell you that your father and I are leaving as well. Of course, if you happen to be regretting something, I wouldn't say I told you so." Her tone was crisp, and the other Adepts watched in horror, knowing well Jenna's temper.

"You're coming with us?" her son repeated, with an expression that suggested a great tragedy.

An odd look came across her face, something between a smile and a smirk. "We are leaving on a different journey, actually. You're old enough to take care of yourself (and you think someone else too, apparently), so we're going on a second honeymoon of sorts. Well...it's a second honeymoon for your father and his heroism...I'm just tagging along." She brushed a strand of hair from her face, and did her best to look cheerful.

"When will you be back?" Matthew asked, looking rather struck by this news.

Jenna shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows? May be years. I'm sure we will stop by and see you, though." She turned, as if to leave, but her son caught her by the shoulder.

"Mom, I hope this isn't because of Sveta. I don't want to make you mad, but I really do think that I'm mature enough for this." His tone was honest, and his mother smiled gently at him.

"It's not. We've been wanting to do this for a long time, and now just happened to be, well...convenient." She hesitated. "I really do think that you're mature enough too, Matthew—I've been the childish one. I have seen a few too many unhappy young marriages to just pass my blessing casually, but I know that she's really important to you, so...I hope it works out." Jenna kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"Good luck!" Isaac called, waving to the group, and Matthew grinned genuinely back. Embraces were exchanged, farewells were said, and the vessel was readied. Before Karis had really processed the dual scenes of parental affection, the ship had brought them well away from Kalay's port. The sea breeze was fresh, the future looked bright, and she was almost dizzy with expectation. Ivan retired early to his cabin, but the younger generation stayed up on deck for quite awhile longer.

"Hey, these maps don't make any sense," Tyrell grumbled, turning the sheets from side to side, and the pirate snatched them from his grip.

"Just your eyes. We should get to Morgal in...mm, about three days, give or take. Another several days after that to get to Ayuthay, although it'd make more sense to go there first."

"The trip is really for Matthew," Karis explained, "and besides, I want to be there for the proposal." Tyrell nodded eagerly, and the two looked expectantly at their old friend.

The Venus Adept groaned. "Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"

"Nope," replied the Jupiter Adept cheerfully. "How about you, Tyrell?"

He scratched his head, red spikes bobbing. "Isn't that something you give to people who deserve it?"

"You're right!" she exclaimed. "Now, do you really think that after all our good old friend Matthew's put us through, and all we've done for him...?"

Matthew buried his face in his hands and made a sound very akin to the cry of a dying bear.

"Well, what about your proposal, Karis?" Eoleo asked casually, hands resting on the wheel. She started, and looked at the older man with a quizzical expression. "Isn't that why you were coming? Amiti and..."

"I wouldn't call it a proposal," she said hurriedly, face coloring slightly.

"I would," Matthew added, voice still muffled.

"Yeah, Karis, do we get to be there?" Tyrell demanded.

The young woman sighed. "I don't even know what I'm doing, exactly, all I know is that I can't...I can't stay apart from him, especially now that I know he feels the same. It's just too much to handle. I can't help the way I feel about him, but with Dad still...not exactly approving, and what if I am too young...I don't want to make a mistake, but I feel confident that Amiti couldn't be one. I love him, so, so much."

Ivan almost felt guilty for eavesdropping.


	18. chapter seventeen

**silverchain.**

**chapter seventeen: **a not immodest proposal

* * *

Shielding his eyes, Matthew felt a sudden wave of concern overtake him. His feet much desired to linger there, at the gate to Belinsk, and he felt that he had no choice but to indulge them. Pausing and squinting as though both dreading and hoping to see the young queen, he let his arm drop to hold the wall firmly.

"Are you alright?" a quietly strong voice said from behind him, and he nodded in reply to Karis. Tyrell, evidently sensing the young man's lack of confidence, clapped him on the back briefly.

"C'mon, Matt. We didn't come all this way for you to give up," he chided.

"Yeah, I know," Matthew said, squaring his shoulders resolutely. He looked back, and into his best friend's face. "Don't call me Matt."

"Well, Matty, start actin' like the hero and we'll stop," the deeper tone of Eoleo growled. Ivan merely stood by, but even the presence of the older man pushed Matthew into a stronger frame of mind.

"I'm going, I'm going," he muttered, and the young hero strode with bravado into the crowded center of town. A whirlwind of activity quickly began: musicians, townspeople, visitors, faces both familiar and unfamiliar swarmed around the group of travelers, praising, questioning, demanding the whereabouts of the rest of the party, mentioning Sveta (Matthew felt his stomach drop slightly, but he was determined to see this through); they were a hit.

"How about a song for our returning heroes?" someone in the crowd called out, and the band started up a lively tune—the same, in fact, that they had once danced to during the quest. Matthew grinned and turned to Karis, or rather, to where she used to be, for she had been swept up into the crowd. In fact, he realized as he scanned the mass for her that the rest of the traveling party had joined the wild dance.

A soft hand touched his, and the Venus Adept found himself face-to-face with a female beastman, somewhat similar in features to Sveta but (he thought) less beautiful. "Would you like to dance?" she asked, in a husky but somehow gentle voice, and he found himself nodding and soon afterward being pulled into the crowd.

Jenna was a firm believer in the merits of dancing, and so Matthew had taken lessons as a young boy, but this...this was entirely different. Perhaps it was due to the much more fast-paced music, perhaps because he was, in fact, in a country mostly made up of beastmen, but whatever the reason, he found himself blending with the crowd even in their unfamiliar movements.

His feet stumbled as the mass began to part, and he felt the touch of his partner draw away. Looking around for the cause of this disturbance, he soon discerned a figure making her way (yes, it was definitely female; he could tell by the way she moved) through the crowd. His palms felt sweaty, and only became more so when he realized he was looking at the queen. Her majestic silver locks and regal dress certainly called to the royal side of her personality, but her face was lit up with inextinguishable joy.

"Sveta!" Matthew exclaimed, and the group around them resumed their animalistic dance. Unsure of what was now proper, the young man was relieved when she reached forward to pull him into a hug.

"I hardly let myself expect that you would visit here," she said, eyes wide. "Are you alone?"

He shook his head. "No, I—"

The beastman took hold of his hand and led him out of the crowd. "I apologize; it was hard for me to concentrate."

"Karis, Tyrell, Eoleo, and Ivan came with me," he told her.

Eyes narrowing and ears pricking, she asked, "What is the purpose of this visit, Matthew?" At the look on his face, she quickly amended, "I am very glad to see you, but something seems to be...wrong. Is there trouble? I have heard nothing..."

"No, it's nothing like that. I...I came here to ask you something, actually." He hesitated, willing her to understand at least part of the nature of his unasked question. It seemed to slip past her, however.

"What is it, then?" Sveta's hands were clasped tightly, and he realized she was still expecting bad news.

"It's nothing bad," Matthew said hastily. "It's just...I..."

"Please go on. I am afraid that my gifts have made me impatient." She smiled gently, showing her teeth. "It is very hard for me to wait, and for something important enough that you must have traveled for days..."

He took a deep breath and felt the box in his pack. Although proposing with jewelery was uncommon in Morgal, Matthew felt that if he was going to ask a queen's hand in marriage, he would do it the right way. Looking deeply into her eyes, he asked, in a voice so quiet it could barely be heard over the ongoing festivities, "I came to ask for your hand."

She looked taken aback, and as though she might interrupt, but he continued. "I have loved you for awhile now, and while I know this is a little sudden, it seemed to be the best way. I will do anything I need to for this to be accepted by the people of Morgal, Sveta. I...I'll do anything for you, for this." He stopped, unable to gage her reaction by her wide green eyes.

"Matthew," she whispered, obviously touched, "I now see why you did not wish to ask immediately, but because you did, I think we should move into more private quarters. Should you ask the others?"

"They know why I'm here," he replied, never removing his eyes from her face, and inwardly despairing at her neutral reaction. The beastman nodded, and he followed her brisk steps into the palace. The servants eyed him with strange expressions, and he realized he must have looked a mess: tousled hair, sweaty from dancing and fighting monsters on deck, tired from the lack of sleep troubled seas afforded him—hardly worthy to propose to a queen. Matthew cursed silently at this oversight.

Entering a small, richly decorated room, he watched her as she closed the door behind them. Seating herself, she gestured for him to do the same, and he did so awkwardly. The silence was almost unbearable.

"I apologize for the interruption," she said, clearly feeling as out of place as he did, which comforted him little. He watched her, but she looked away.

"Sveta..."

"I love you," Sveta carefully confessed to the dark red rug beneath their feet, "but I was not expecting such a question as this."

While his heart lifted at her words, a lingering cloud seemed to menace him. "Is...is there a problem? If it is a law, or the people, I will do _whatever_ it takes."

"No," the beastman said, and for the first time since they had entered the room she met his eyes. "I may marry whomever I wish, and there would be no objection to you, certainly. The people love you, Matthew. You're a hero."

His face heated slightly. "What is the...what is..."

"I am not ready."

They sat in silence for another minute, both pretending to be absorbed in the furniture.

"I believe that this is too soon, Matthew," Sveta specified. "I have deep feelings for you, and I do believe that destiny brought us together, but I am still becoming used to my role as ruler. Would you..." (she cleared her throat) "be willing to consider merely courtship?"

"Of course," Matthew said, feeling a rush of relief. "Whatever you want."

She thought for a second, and then nodded once. "I believe that would be for the best. I suppose we should meet with the others," she added with a smile, and he stood up.

"Wait...just making sure, that's not a no, right?"

"Right. That was a...'not now'."

He smiled slowly, and the queen held out her hand for him to take it.


	19. chapter eighteen

**silverchain.**

**chapter eighteen: **the onset of ever-strengthening feelings

* * *

She couldn't remember why she was there, nor how she had arrived. In fact, she realized with heightening alarm, even her own name was suddenly out of grasp. Concerned turquoise beams—no, they were eyes, Karis, eyes! That was her name, Karis, and she was here, somewhat bedraggled, sandaled feet planted firmly but somehow dizzily on rich red carpet, face to face with the rest of the body of the gorgeous turquoise eyes. Amiti, her love, who was presumably speaking to her.

Karis felt her lips part and tried to fight the instinct, attempting to remind her senses that she had no idea what she was going to say, but a jumble of words fell out of her mouth despite her tries. "Are you going to marry me or not?"

Her eyes widened and she tried to take back what she had said, but her previously eager tongue now refused to let a single word drop. For the first time since she had entered the chamber, she was aware of the gaggle of friends outside the door, probably pressing their ears to the wall. Amiti (had she really almost forgotten him, too?) was observing her with an indecipherable expression, and she was reminded irresistibly of Alex. His father. Strange, that the concept at once seemed foreign and yet quite natural. How had she not previously seen the resemblance? It was in the king's every movement, the careful way he pronounced every word, the calculated look that sometimes occupied his features, causing his eyes to glint with a chilling coldness. Amiti was not cold like Alex, though; he was too vibrant, too passionate, too real, whereas Alex always seemed removed from his environment.

His voice sent an unrepentant shiver down her spine, and Karis snapped back to attention. "Does this mean that you accept the proposal I offered in Kalay?" he asked, in a cool but somehow urgent tone.

"Offered?" she found herself saying, quite out of sync with the bubbly, joyful feeling that was currently possessing her heart. Her voice was somewhat sharp, and suddenly her head seemed to clear. "You didn't offer. You told me you were going to propose, but...but I'm not the waiting kind, Amiti." She paused, rather expecting for him to interject, but he merely regarded her with those calm turquoise eyes that boiled her blood in a few different ways.

"I'm not the waiting kind," she repeated. "If there's a problem here, in Ayuthay...I want to help. I want to be there for you, no matter what's going on. I don't want to wait back in Kalay for you to come back and fetch me when everything's okay. I want to be right here by your side, even if all I can do is rub your shoulders and tell you it'll get better."

His intense gaze made her falter. "You are the most amazing woman I have ever met, Karis. Please believe me when I say that I did not intend for you to feel left behind. I merely wished for everything to be perfect when I...when we..."

"You'll be waiting forever," Karis said quietly. "I'm never going to be perfect, Amiti."

He smiled. "I beg to differ. If you insist, however, I can propose to you now," he offered.

"I'd like that," she replied huskily, green eyes sparkling.

Amiti retrieved a small box. "Here in Ayuthay, we typically use engagement necklaces to symbolize a commitment, but I understand that in Kalay it is more common to use interlocked rings." A red flush complimented his words nicely. Karis was unsure of how to respond, but she nodded.

"Karis," the Adept said seriously, "I realized feelings for you over the course of our travels together, and spending time with you in Kalay only increased those feelings. I am now fully aware that I would like to spend the rest of my life with you, helping you, protecting you, and taking care of you in all the ways that I can."

If she had wished for a portrait of that moment, it would easily have been glorious. The palace was in much better shape than it had been the first time she had visited, especially because they were now able to occupy the aboveground levels. Rich red carpet added majesty, and the king's deep expression would be almost startling. Her expression, a cross between joy and disbelief, could be the focus, and the burning tension between their eyes, while not painted, could be evident. Portraits of kings long gone adorned the walls, and it almost seemed as though the deceased royals were smiling at their unconventional, illegitimate descendant.

He inclined his head, to indicate that she should respond, and discomfort soon replaced her sense of awe. She was not a royal, she did not have a way with words the way that Amiti did; she was just herself. Hoping and praying that would be enough, she replied in her most regal tone, "I would also like to spend the rest of my life with you, Amiti, h-helping you and...and supporting you as best I can."

Gingerly, he lifted the ring from the box. It was a lovely piece, obviously striving to be traditionally Kalayan but with a sense of strangeness to it as well—a true melding of cultures. His expectant eyes met hers, and, reddening, she held out her hand as daintily as she found possible. Fear gripped her. What if the rest of life with Amiti was like this? She loved him, but the formalities made her uncomfortable. She was not deserving of such rituals, and she did not know how to respond to him, but he was the king; he had to set an example for the people. Would she become more queenly over time, or would the Ayuthays always covertly disapprove of his choice in wife?

As the ring fully slipped onto her finger, however, her fear disappeared as quickly as it had come. Standing there, with Amiti's soft but strong hands gently holding hers, she truly felt as though a child's fairy tale had come true in her. His hands dropped her now bejeweled hand, and Karis almost felt as though her heart dropped with it.

Then those same hands were suddenly on her back, and they were embracing. Tears peeked out from the corners of her eyes, and for once she let them fall, knowing that Amiti would not see them as a sign of weakness. He would always understand.

"I assume you would prefer to be married sooner rather than later?" her husband-to-be (how wonderful it was even to simply think the words!) said, with a hint of amusement, from over her shoulder. Her eyes drifted to him, wishing that she could see his face but far from desiring the embrace to end.

"I didn't come all this way to be engaged for a year, you're right," she replied, finding herself slip back into a normal speech pattern. The fairy tale moment, it seemed, was over, but her love story was only beginning. She smiled absent-absentmindedly at her awkward thoughts. She had never been one to obsess over romance, always playing the adventurous tomboy, but Amiti had turned all of that upside down.

The embrace ended, and Karis felt her arms chill, but it was worth it to be able to look at Amiti's face, bursting with joy as much as her own. A bang at the door interrupted her mental soliloquy, however.

"Hey! We need to get a chaperone? It's been long enough!" Eoleo shouted roughly, and Amiti raised his eyebrows at her.

"Did everybody come along?" he asked.

"Not quite everybody, but..." She smiled.

"I suppose we should end their waiting," he chuckled, and offered her his arm. She took it, grinning at him with an obscene amount of happiness, and the pair exited the quiet chamber.


	20. chapter nineteen

**silverchain.**

**chapter nineteen: **a conclusion is never a conclusion

* * *

Amiti had always taken pride in his observant and careful nature; rarely did he let a moment slip from his comprehension. He enjoyed analyzing and considering, both in the heat of the moment and in the cool aftermath. Despite these traits, even he could not keep up with the speedy course of events done in preparation for his wedding.

He hardly saw Karis, as the women both of Ayuthay and of the other lands were constantly fluttering around her, making sure that everything would be perfect. Sometimes he would catch her eye and see her exasperation, and then he felt guilty. If not for his royal birth, all of this fuss would not have to have been made. She could have had a quiet village wedding like she probably wanted. Soon after this wave of guilt, however, she would smile at him, his head would spin, and he would decide that it was worth it for the both of them.

The preparations were hardly more enjoyable for him. The court was quite displeased with the short engagement that the pair had decided upon, and the consequences the king suffered were severe in his eyes. Drills, fittings, regulations—he half-wished to elope with his "lady love" (as a few certain Adepts insisted on referring to her as) and be done with it.

The much-awaited day, however, arrived quickly after the buzz died down. Before he was entirely aware of the change, it was the morning of the day, the fated day. They were to be wedded in the afternoon, and a small reception was being held in one of Amiti's private chambers, with only his closest friends from his journeys and his home. The familiar faces were many, and his heart was joyful, but whether it was the timing or simply destiny, the young king simply felt off. The prospect of marrying Karis thrilled him, but something about the day they had chosen seemed ill-fated in his eyes, although the change had been slow and imperceptible. Still, he was determined to marry her at the time prescribed.

She was quite on the opposite side of the room from him when the news came. A messenger boy, quite out of breath and almost blue in the face, burst into the room, brandishing a scroll addressed to "His Royal Highness, King of Ayuthay", as it was announced. Amiti felt his stomach lurch.

"It's from the one they call Arcanus," wheezed the boy.

Amiti's eyes narrowed, but across the room, Karis's widened. She quickly made her way over to him, and even in his bedraggled state he had to marvel at how lovely she looked in the fitted robes, made for her by the seamstresses at court. Royal life would treat her well, he thought, although she would like to be on the move.

"Amiti," she said quietly, although the messenger boy had already withdrawn from the private chamber, "Alex is..."

"My father," he replied softly, keeping his torrential emotions from spilling into his expression. The room (quite full of adventurers accustomed to eavesdropping) looked shocked. Some clearly had no knowledge of his parentage, while others looked merely confused that he was aware of it himself.

He could not keep from looking at both Matthew and Baghi. One was shocked at the revelation; the other looked resigned and questioning. He knew that he owed them both, and Karis besides, an explanation.

"Nobody gave me this knowledge," he said, loudly enough for the guests' hearing to remain unstrained. "It was not that difficult to figure out, you know. Everybody was always mistaking me for him, and I do admit the resemblance is uncanny. I apologize for not sharing the information with those of you who were unaware, but I have found no time to share my _private_ affairs." His stress of the word did not escape most of the assembled.

Karis's eyes were dark and unreadable, and Amiti's stomach squeezed with trepidation. His practiced stare did not allow any of these emotions to come forth, however.

After a minute of almost dazed silence, Eoleo spoke up. "So you gonna read it or what?"

His lips tightened. "I'm going to read it." Breaking the seal, he unrolled the scroll in his most dramatic manner. If they wanted a show, they could have one. He did not intend for his wayward father to ruin this happy day, however.

Scanning the letter quickly, he nodded once and closed it. Gesturing for a servant to come forth, he allowed the man to take the scroll. He was not planning on taking any chances. "He merely wished to offer congratulations."

His voice did not crack. His eyes did not waver. The years of diplomatic training he had undergone had served him well, it seemed. As if a spell had been broken, the partygoers resumed their nibbling, sipping, and polite discussion.

* * *

The wedding was beautiful, all would later agree. Amiti was majestic and handsome, so they said, in his kingly robes which suited him much better than "outside-world" clothes ever could; Karis was queenly and gorgeous in her gown of purest white. They made a stunning couple, the service was neither too long nor too short, and there was plenty of wine served at the afterparty. Everybody was quite pleased with the event, the couple included.

Amiti was considering all of this hearsay and personal observation when he felt the bed shift. The woman lying next to him had risen, and without moving, he knew what she was retrieving.

"I was unable to fool you, I see," he said drowsily.

"I didn't buy that for a second, no matter how good you are at lying," she replied, sorting through the drawers.

"You won't find it that way."

"Maybe I'll just read your mind," she threatened.

"Go ahead." He ran a hand through his aqua locks.

The weight returned to the bed, and he found himself face to face with his new wife, who looked ready to make good on her threat. Amiti knew that his courtiers would recommend this as the time to show his kingly superiority and authority by right over the woman who should submit to him.

"It is in that locked box. The key is under the bed."

Within a minute she had lit a lamp and opened the scroll (in a much more practical manner). Her intelligent eyes scanned the writing. After a minute, she sighed. "Will we ever be done with adventuring?"

"I thought you enjoyed it...dear," he replied, mouth twitching up into a smirk.

"This is a crisis!" she grumbled, shaking the scroll at him. He raised his eyebrows.

"I suppose it's up to those in power to fix it. Oh...that would be us."

"You're too sassy. I'm going to have to train you better than that."

"I assume that you can do that on the road. We will definitely need to travel for this."

Karis discovered that night that a king makes a very amusing noise when hit with a pillow.

**&fin.**


End file.
